Piggy Pig Pig!

We live in a wonderfully connected world. It's great to be able to lurk on pop onto Facebook and find out what's happening with my friends. With a click of a button, I can instantly shoot an email to people anywhere in the world. However, all this connected-ness does not lend itself to secret keeping.  Christmas time (while a blessed and wonderful time of year) is a time of secrets.

This year I had the pleasure of collaborating on a couple presents for people in my family. It was great fun!  However, (so accustomed to being connected as I am) it was kind of painful to not be able to share pictures of these awesome projects I was working on! (I know, first-world problems)

One project, in particular, was especially difficult to not share: Painting a Piggy. This isn't just any piggy, but a concrete and rebar creation that took up residence in my home some months ago.

I had been commissioned to restore this piggy to it's original cuteness (rather than the worn down, chipped state it had found itself to be in). Initially, this piggy didn't take up too much space or occupy too much of my notice (as long as I refrained from saying hello to it with my shin).. but as Christmas drew nearer, the need to get to work became more pressing.

However, by this time here in Chicago, it had gotten a little cool outside and so, to work in a properly ventilated area, this piggy took up residence in my bathroom (the only room with an external fan). So many times it would have been perfect to update my status with quaint quips such as "A piggy has taken over my bathroom!" or "my piggy is doing a snouter!"

But alas, I was compelled to silence, for fear that the intended recipient of this piggy would see and ask questions and grow suspicious! Happily, I found solace in sharing pictures with the original commissioner, even if those emailed pictures had to be deleted to prevent early detection.

While this piggy waited for the weeks to pass before meeting its new owner, it lived in my craft room and served as a foot rest (sort of like this). Happily, all the secrecy paid off and the recipient was satisfactorily surprised and everybody was happy!

At last, it found its home and all was well.

Who knew Christmas would bring out the sneaky sneaky in us all?