'Twas the Week before Mardi Gras...

and I'm pining for the scent of Sweet Olive delicately wafting through the air, hearing "Carnival Time" pumping loud and clear on every local radio playing in the car, bar or drugstore, and the thunder of St. Aug's band marching down the Avenue.  Sigh...soon enough!

I sketched these sillies last week in my anticipation...hope you enjoy! 

Welcome to My Mardi Gras World...

 Just moments after I have wrapped the last Christmas present and stashed it under the tree and have finished the dessert for our Christmas Eve dinner, the orders start to ping their way into my Etsy account.  

Louisianans never get depressed about taking down their Christmas decorations, because they are eager to put on their Mardi Gras finery for carnival season...I am blessed to have this to look forward to every year and it brings joy to my heart to get these painted and shipped out!  

Here's what's cooking...

a stately single initial royal sign...

and a lovely monogrammed hanger...

I featured a version of this jester mask a few years ago in my Etsy Shop...have given it a makeover with Mardi Gras beads, crowns and doubloons...

I included large New Orleans Krewe names on the doubloons.

 and lots and lots of King Cake Babies...small...

 and huge!

 And, a few of these...

Love is painted into every one of them...can't ever have enough purple, green and gold!

And, yes...I decorate my house for Mardi Gras on the afternoon of January 6th after I have taken down all the Christmas decorations in the morning, kissed that baby Jesus and put Him back in his place in the attic...He remains in my heart each and every minute of the day.

King Cake Baby Time!

Happy Epiphany and Mardi Gras Season!   I have been emptying a few bottles of purple green and gold recently and thought I would share!  

I especially love this huge one...a client will hang this 34" x 48" on the front of her New Orleans home for carnival season...he just makes me giggle!