The Nutcracker House

 

12/23/25 Sunset Hill neighborhood

Each holiday season for more than a decade, a family has been displaying stage design props from Maurice Sendak’s Nutcracker ballet in front of their Sunset Hill neighborhood house. This Seattle Times article explains how the owners started acquiring the pieces, one of which is 15 feet tall, after the ballet production retired in 2014. A team of neighbors and friends helps out each year.

Although I’ve known about “the Nutcracker house” for a long time, it was the Times’ recent article and learning about how much work it takes to put up the display that gave me the nudge to finally go and sketch it.

Meeting Mary Jean there around 4 p.m., I had just enough daylight to sketch a few characters with the house behind it (top of post). The 1936 house looks like a fairytale year-round!

MJ and I talked about how some characters are kind of creepy, like this nutcracker with the maniacal grin. I wonder if some kids found this ballet scary?

By 4:30, it was dark, and that’s when the illuminated characters really came to life (see my Instagram post for a short video of the scene). Although it got more and more difficult to see, we both kept going until, as MJ said, she couldn’t tell which colors were which anymore. It pushed my nocturne sketching to a new level of darkness! It was also the most fun sketching I did this holiday season. 

Merry Christmas!

Scowling Mouse King (the one on the left)

15-foot-tall Nutcracker

Charlotte’s Door (Plus Opacity Comparison)

 

12/15/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood

This neighbor’s door has an undecorated wreath. It faces perpendicular to the street, so I have a good view of it from an upstairs side window. Just as I was finishing up, Charlotte came home and turned off the porch light! Whew, just made it!

Material and process notes: After I published my review of the Derwent Drawing Pencils with new colors, I was thinking about how opaque the white pencils are and wondered how opaque the rest of the colors are (I’ve updated the review post with swatches on black paper). Since my mind is so much on nocturnes lately (or faux nocturnes), I thought it would be interesting to make a few sample swatches of the pencils I think of as among the most opaque and compare them to Drawing.

I picked out a few colors from Drawing, then tried to find close matches in each of the other lines. (Strangely, it was difficult to find exact matches between Drawing and Lightfast, both made by Derwent.) I have a small set of Holbein, so my matches were not close in some cases. Each swatch was two layers applied with heavy pressure.

Swatches made in Uglybook sketchbook. The whites sampled here are all a warmish off-white except Holbein, which is the basic white.

Making swatches simultaneously with these five pencil lines, all among my softest, made me realize that Drawing is the least dusty of the five, and also the most “moist and creamy” (at the risk of sounding like a cake). It also confirmed that Caran d’Ache Luminance is the “driest,” despite being soft.   

The sketch was made with Derwent Drawing. Effortlessly opaque, and they blend like a dream.

The Opposite Bush

 

12/14/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood

The house on the corner lights up later in the season than the rest of my neighbors. It’s always a simple strand of lights on the bushes near the porch. When I compared this to last year’s sketch, I could see that the owner had put the lights on the bush on the opposite side this time. I can’t see much, of course, but I can tell where the lights are relative to the pale illumination from the porchlight in the grass.

Update: After I made this sketch, she added a string of lights on the other side, too.

New Lights

 

12/11/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood

More extravagant with lights than the house I sketched last week, this family also likes the freeform look on their shrubs and trees. They put up a few more strings of multi-colored lights than they had last year, and a small, illuminated snowman, too. My favorite part is the quiet tree in their upstairs window.

Pre-Coffee, 6:38 a.m.

12/9/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Last year these neighbors were a bit more tidy with their lights. This year, they decided to take a freeform, minimal approach. It’s a nice contrast to their neighbors’ symmetrical design.

Sketching pre-coffee in the pre-dawn darkness, I enjoy the special stillness of this time that’s so entirely different from the same time during the summer. 

Across the Street, 7:48 p.m.

 

12/2/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood

I’ve kicked off nocturne season with my most convenient night view: the house across the street. Their lights and decorations are (thankfully) more subdued than in some years, but I’m bracing myself – they might not be done yet. I prefer sketching during the half-done stage before the inflatables and blinky stuff appear. (Here’s how the same house looked in 2023 and in 2022.)

Often I prefer making nocturnes in the pre-dawn quiet when the family is still asleep, and no interior lights clash with festive lights. This time I tried an evening view after they turned out their diningroom lights. The tree in the window looked lovely.

Simple kit with the essential light

Material notes: I’m keeping my nocturne sketch kit simple again: A white Prismacolor, a white Gelly Roll, and a couple of Posca paint markers. Initially, I had used pink and green metallic Posca markers, but when I scanned the image, I was disappointed that the tiny dots of color didn’t really show. I went back in with regular red and green Poscas, and they showed up better.

An essential item in a good nocturne sketch kit is a light. I’m pleased with the Gritin LED book light that I got last year. It’s so lightweight that even a softcover, landscape-format Uglybook (which is none too stiff) can hold up its weight when I stand at the livingroom window to sketch.

The House in Back

 

12/23/24 About 7:45 p.m., Maple Leaf neighborhood

Most of the houses behind ours don’t put up lights on the backsides because they can’t be seen (except by me and probably my next-door neighbors). The people in this house, however, put up lights on their back porch last year, and they did again this year. Even if I’m the only one, I enjoy and appreciate them.

Confetti-Colored Christmas

 

12/22/24 About 7:20 a.m., Maple Leaf neighborhood

To my southwest, this house toned down its excessive lighting from last year. While still confetti colored, the lights on the bushes have been scaled back. I like them – not too much, not too sparse (not that anyone does Christmas lights too sparsely). Their car in the driveway reflects some of their lights (or perhaps their neighbors’). Like last year, they have at least two trees.

Happy holidays from Weather Bunny, and may all
your Christmas sweaters be ugly!

For the record, the extent of my holiday decorating is a porch light that blinks red and green alternately. The smart LED bulb I got a couple months ago can change to a gazillion colors, and the app is preprogrammed for lots of different “themes” (including “Dance Party,” “Carnival” and “Father’s Day”). When I chose “Christmas,” that’s what I got. I could have customized the colors, I’m sure, but that sounded like too much work. I’m happy that I can show so much holiday spirit without breaking a sweat.

Solstice Morning

 

12/21/24 About 7:15 a.m., Maple Leaf neighborhood

I don’t know if it’s because the clouds have become thicker or because I’m alone in the house now, but this year’s Big Dark seems bigger than ever. Although we won’t see a difference for months, it’s still a relief to know that we’re finally past the winter solstice.

As my coffee dripped, I looked across the street at the house on the corner. That neighbor doesn’t usually decorate for Christmas (in fact, I think last year was the first time), and this year she was quite late and much simpler – a strand of lights only on the front bushes. On the shortest day of the year, however, I’ll take any light I can get.

Wishing you a peaceful and well-lighted Christmas!

Review: Gritin LED Rechargeable Book Light

 

The Gritin rechargeable LED book light

When I went to make my first nocturne this season, I found that the batteries in my Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Book Light had died. Looking back at the date of my review, I was impressed that the three AAA batteries had lasted 11 years! For nocturnes and occasional concerts, the lamp has served me well. I could have simply replaced the batteries, but I’ve been trying to get away from products that use disposable batteries. The Gritin LED book light on Amazon looked promising.

I gave the light its first charge on USB overnight, so I don’t know how long it took, but my guess is that it wasn’t long. A charge is supposed to last 80 hours (which is probably another decade for me if all I use it for is nocturne sketches!). Instead of varying light levels (the Mighty Bright has two), the Gritin offers three color temperatures of light, which I didn’t think would be a remarkable feature. I was surprised, though, that the warmer setting is less reflective on black paper. I think the feature would be useful for reading, too (what – people actually use book lights to read by instead of making nocturnes??). The bulb casts a wide, even light across the page.

Its best feature, though, is that it is lighter and slightly less bulky because it doesn’t contain batteries. The Mighty Bright is tolerable in weight with a hardcover or thick sketchbook (like my “Stefano” sketchbook cover and a black Stillman & Birn Nova I had been using when I bought the Mighty Bright), but a thinner, softcover Uglybook doesn’t give the lamp enough support, and it tends to flop over. The new Gritin hardly weighs anything and balances well with a softcover book.

Like the Mighty Bright, its illumination is way too bright to use in a concert hall without potentially annoying others. If I take it in public, I’ll try putting some tape over the LED bulb to dim it down, just as I did with the Mighty Bright. In my dark livingroom, though, it was ideal illumination for sketching across the street before dawn.

House to the Southeast (and Simplified Nocturne Kit)

 

12/17/24 7:05 a.m. in Maple Leaf

My neighbors to the southeast are among my street favorites for holiday lights – lively and colorful but not too much. When I made a nocturne last year, I focused on their windmill palm tree (which I enjoy sketching at all times of year). This week I took a wider view to get the simple string of lights around the roof’s edge and tiny tree on the porch. New this year are the lights on their back deck (where all the construction was going on two years ago). Their car in the driveway reflected illumination from their neighbors’ lights.

Technical notes: Shown below is this year’s simplified nocturne kit. I find I really don’t need more than a white colored pencil (currently a Derwent Drawing) and a few opaque paint markers. I’ve lately been using these Pilot Juice pens, which are not necessarily better than Posca, but the “fine” point size on these works well for dots of light. I used a white Gelly Roll instead of the white in the Pilot set because it’s less likely to put out an inadvertent, heavy-handed blob. And a black Uglybooks, of course. Newsflash: I got a new book light for making nocturnes; stay tuned for the review.

My simplified nocturne kit

Subdued

 

12/10/24 about 7:30 p.m. Maple Leaf neighborhood

The neighbors across the street usually put up excessively garish holiday decorations, but thankfully, they are relatively subdued this year. Perhaps it helped that Thanksgiving and the days following were so cold. They might not be done, though. . . in years past, Thanksgiving weekend was just the beginning, and they would continue to add more decorations as it got closer to Christmas.

Material note: I used Pilot Juice Paint Markers for the lights, and the blobs got away from me in a few places. Like Posca paint markers, these markers require a light, dotting touch – a little too much pressure and pfffllt.

Foggy Thanksgiving

 

11/28/24 About 7:15 a.m., Maple Leaf

Just like two years ago, Thanksgiving day began with a thick fog. Around 7:15 a.m., the sun was still below the horizon, but the sky was beginning to lighten. From an upstairs window, I could barely see the driveway; the cone of light from this street light dissipated before it hit the ground.

A couple of hours later, the sun was fully up, but the fog was still deep. I sketched the same street light, this time with some context I could see across the street.

11/28/24 About 9:30 a.m.

Waiting for the Aurora Borealis

 

5/11/24 Maple Leaf Park, about 10:15 p.m.

After seeing amazing photos from friends and neighbors on Facebook last Friday, I was encouraged to stay up late enough to try to see the Aurora Borealis on Saturday night. Along with many neighbors who had the same idea, I arrived at Maple Leaf Park around 10 p.m. I waited until about 11 (when I was afraid I might nod off right there at the park), but didn’t see anything. It was kind of fun, though, to chat with neighbors, all of us sharing that same sense of anticipation.

To entertain myself as I waited, I sketched a guy using his laptop under a park shelter. He didn’t seem at all interested in looking for the AB – he just likes to work at night in the middle of a city park, I guess. (Of course I went prepared with my Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Book Light!)

Back Porch

12/26/23 Maple Leaf neighborhood

When the neighbors kitty-corner behind us put up lights for the holidays around their back porch, it surprised me: On that side of the house, we’re probably the only ones who can see those lights. I don’t think they did it just for us, but I did appreciate the simple string of colored lights every dark morning when I came into the kitchen to start the coffee.

Although this is probably the last holiday-themed nocturne of the season, it’s unlikely to be the last overall – we still have plenty of dark mornings ahead. But the good news is that the days are finally getting longer again.

Silent Night, Colorful Night

 

12/21/23 Maple Leaf neighborhood

At the risk of sounding bah-humbuggy, I’m going to come out and say it: This house has too many lights. I’m all for freeform artistic expression, but this is just messy. It’s the same house I sketched last week in the early morning when only the tree lights were on. Despite my esthetic objections, I sketched it again one evening when all the lights were on because it was a good excuse to use all my Posca glitter pens.

Enough picture-taking! I got work to do here!

And speaking of excuses, this post is a good one to trot out this photo, circa 1960s. What I was really looking for was the photo of myself with Santa, which I know is somewhere in my massive collection of digitized family photos, but I found this one from a Christmas morning first.

Merry Carrots from Weather Bunny!

Less is More

 

12/18/23 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Like their neighbors to the east, this family turns on a lot more colored lights in the evening, but the only lights they leave on overnight are the two trees visible through windows. I prefer it this way. At 6 a.m., I still had plenty of time before dawn would dull the illumination.

Simple Lights

 

12/12/23 Maple Leaf neighborhood

As far as I can remember, this neighbor on the corner has never decorated for the holidays – until this year. Maybe the lights next door or other houses on the block put her in the mood (or she felt pressured to be in the mood). In any case, I like these simple strings of lights on her bushes and plants. The background lights from the fence across the street add a little more color, too.

Sparkly!

Material note: I’m diggin’ the glittery Posca paint markers. They are slightly more sparkly than the Kuretake Fudebiyori metallic brush pens I used last year. We don’t put up lights anymore, so the Poscas are as sparkly as we get on the north side of Northeast 81^st.

Across the Street, 4:35 a.m.

 

12/7/23 Maple Leaf neighborhood

I couldn’t sleep. While my coffee brewed, I sketched the house across the street. The owners turn most of them off overnight, but in the evening, many more lights and decorations are visible (similar to last year). I like it best like this – softly twinkling red and white lights on the deck railing – and nothing more.

Palm Tree Nocturne

12/3/23 6:45 a.m., Maple Leaf neighborhood

While their house was undergoing extensive renovations, the neighbors across the street had moved out for nearly a year, including last holiday season. Without even a porch light on, their vacated house was dark and dismal, especially compared to the blinding runway next door. They’ve moved back in, and it was nice to see their cheerful but subtle lights go up a few days ago.

That’s not a skinny Christmas tree in their yard; it’s the trunk of their little palm tree, which I have sketched several times, including last December when it was dusted with snow. Wrapped in lights, its profile is very different in the dark.

Technical note: I sketched those colored lights with a new set of Uni Posca Glitter Paint Markers (edited 12/29/23: Review at the Well-Appointed Desk). Usually at this time of year, I find myself buying some kind of metallic or otherwise sparkly product, even as I insist that I’m not a shiny, glittery kind of girl. But the holidays don’t count, right? (And even as I put Posca markers on my year-end Flop list, I get more. This love/hate relationship runs deep, as does my contradictory nature.)

New sparkle!

Speaking of new sparkle, this sticker somehow got produced (my glittery alter-ego apparently works quietly at night).