Merry Christmas!!!!

Hello my dear friends!  How was your week?  First of all I like to say all of you thank you so much for your kind messages about my beloved Nikki last week. It means a lot to me.  Many of you have pets and you know how hard it is to say goodbye from your personal experiences.  But now on to the magical time of Christmas and I will be enjoying it with loved ones.

I opened my Instagram account @LanasArtStudio couple of days ago, and I'm probably the last person to join it :) ... I found all of my friends from FB, Etsy, and Pinterest happily sharing their lovely pictures with the world already!  I have tons of questions and more ideas ahead .... but now hear from the pros how to avoid mistakes there .... so far I found this week:

• An Instagram account I wish I'd thought of: Wenevermet. Pictures of strangers (who aren't facing the camera) and tiny, imaginary caption stories of their lives. Here
• I found a printable (free) WOODLANDS gift tags I may be using for my presents here
• Ultimate guide for my new Instagram adventure here
• Came across this site  for you friends with cats - Top 10 toys for your holiday!

 And, last but not least I would like to sharing my weekend small getaway to a lovely old city St. Augustine with Nights of Lights. This is our yearly holiday tradition and I'm so happy to sharing it with you.

 During Nights of Lights, St. Augustine glows with holiday magic - from the ground to the rooftops. Selected by National Geographic in 2011 & 2012 as one of the ten best holiday lighting displays in the world, St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights feature millions of tiny white lights that create a magical atmosphere in the Nation’s oldest city.

Tracing its origins to the Spanish tradition of displaying a white candle in the window during the Christmas holidays, the spectacular lighting reflects the city’s 449-year history and illuminates the beautiful setting for lasting holiday memories.
 

The best way to enjoy the popular holiday lighting display is to park in the Historic Parking Facility located off Castillo Drive and enjoy the sights in one of many different ways – on foot, by bicycle or pedicab, on the Old Town Trolley or the Ripley’s Red Train, or by horse and carriage. - via  

Christmas only a few days away and I'm looking forward to spend this days with a quiet and restful last minute cooking and enjoying time with my family! Merry Christmas to All and Lovely Sweet Wishes!

With Love, 

Lana

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March Madness

 Happy Monday lovelies! 

How is Monday treating you so far?  I had a brief but lovely beach day getaway - to just see the beautiful blue water was so calm and relaxing ... I decided to start my weekly post with these fresh pictures!  Though it is in blue hues it is still definitely summery and uplifting I think:) What do you think?

I decided to post this today - sun came out and all my blues were washed away....  I have my busy week ahead: a few commissions to finish, small illustrations to complete, get ready for my FL teacher's recertification renewal and most important prepare for my dear old ( not too old ... just from my high school years :)  friend come to visit me next week from New York ( it took her three years this time to finally visit Florida again - but it is better late then never :) 

I wish you a happy spring and many more great sunny days ahead!

xx,

 Lana

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MIAMI BEACH According to my IPhone

I think this holiday season is once again another extremely busy one for many different reasons.  Not only in trying to maintain your family happy, also as business owner and creator, in trying to keep my customers happy with happy purchasing experiences!  I would love to spend more time with my blog but it is seems like it gets the short end of the stick most of the time. I think I missed the last week of posting and it almost feels like I'm back to school and forgot my homework or deadline for an assignment!
I would love to share with you this week getaway trip to South Beach MIAMI to celebrate our anniversary. It was so relaxing, exciting, and fun, with exquisite food, amazing weather, lovely company, and extremely luxurious accommodation!

View from our room from the 9th floor Hotel 

One of two pools - This one is the party pool!

Tapas restaurant in hotel 

our room

one of few restaurants - The Bazaar 

Rooms are neat and comfortable

relax on the beach

private beach access for guests

Our stay here at the SLS Hotel was so inspiring!  I painted a few watercolors ... so stop by my store to check them out ....

Last but not least, I would like to say thank you dear bloggers for staying in touch with me and especially for featuring me in your blogs:

- Mike from  The Artistic Blog

- Duni from Duni's Studio

- Liz from What Dress Code

- My Teammates from  Etsy
(for your numerous treasuries and leaving your inspiring notes)

XX,  Lana

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