When you don't know what to take...

This is my "go to" when I have to take food to something and am running short on time. It's simple, pretty and everyone eats at least something. This was for my pottery class that I sometimes take and I usually have to be there right after work...this works beautifully.

I use a huge casserole dish (easy transport and much prettier than Tupperware). I hate the fact that I have all these pretty dishes and can't use them if I'm going somewhere. So now I've ditched the ugly plastics and just drive carefully.

Contents are as follows.

Strawberries

Grapes (I try to chose things that don't require being cut up or will oxidize)

Brie

Herb goat cheese

Pea pods (blanched and I just snip the "V" with the kitchen scissors)

Roast Red Pepper Hummus

Loads of crackers

...anything will do as long as they are not too salty...this is not the time for Chicken in a biscuit! I like to save chicken in a biscuit for when I need to hide in the closet with a can of spray cheese.

Just in case you're interested here is the results of my pottery class...this was my first try and I really enjoyed it and have since taken another. My instructor is incredible! Her name is Caroline Zama and is the owner of Star Bird Pottery...please check out her website. She is so creative and truly one of the sweetest people I have ever met!

This is "pinch pottery" and not done on a wheel.

Ahhh Football Season...

I don't know about your house but at our house the world stops turning for football. The TV is the size of Lucas Oil Stadium just so we can see Payton Manning's pores. It's important stuff. The dogs even get into it, their big Payton fans. OK not really...but they do enjoy lounging on the couch, except when the boy yells at the TV...Phoebe starts to shake nervously, then Pippa crawls on top of Phoebe. OK I'm making all this stuff up about the dogs...this picture is just so weird...What is Pippa doing? Are they practicing their cheerleading pyramid for the state championships?

Well, I think I'm going to do one of two things today....bake a blueberry pie or try and copy the lemon cream cake from Olive Garden. Foodies don't get all high and mighty on me, the lemon cream cake at Olive Garden ROCKS!

I'll let you know how it goes.
Have a great Sunday! GO COLTS!

Picasso Meets Shaft

Where to even begin... Do I really even need to say anything at all? It's truly amazing what comes in through the front doors at work. On the one side we have 1 of 17 Picasso's' that an interior designer brought in for their client. They are part of a series Picasso created called "Imaginary Portraits". Apparently there are 29 and I would say for a person to have 17 of these lithos from the series is a very impressive collection. Picasso worked with a famous lithographer named Marcel Salinas to create these images.

I know your thinking that I must be the smartest person to know all this stuff.

Well.

I am.

Just kidding....thank you google, once these came in we started to panic about the value and hoped our insurance would cover them in case of earthquake...tornado...zombie ground hogs sent here from the planet Zoron to feast on all things paper.

If zombies were ground hogs would they stay underground?

Anyway, the later painting "1970's Love Den #4" smells like it came out of a love den of funk. The thing that is so amusing to me about this (clearly not the stench emanating from the picture) but the amount of skill someone had to have to create this "work of art". Truly a technically talented person. I don't mean the fact this person can draw is amusing, but the fact that the Picasso technically looks like a big ol mess and it's the "master work". Of course I'm not the biggest fan of Picasso even though I can appreciate what he did for modern day artists and the fact that he is the king of cubism. I'm rambling at this point...look I warned you there would be plenty of verbal diarrhea.

OK...here is a little painting I did a few years ago...it's no Picasso and it doesn't smell. It's the Chapel at Tlaquepaque in Sedona Arizona (say that three times fast).

Fantastic Amish Bread Recipe!

I'm not so sure what makes this "Amish" as it tastes like the same bread my mom made when I was a kid and if I'm not mistaken she got that recipe from the old Betty Crocker book.

I adore the old Betty Crocker book. It gives helpful tips for the "modern" woman.....LIIIIKE, don't bother your husband when he gets home from work. He's had a long hard day. ALSO, make sure you look pretty for him and that the children are washed and clean. It's fun for a laugh, one of these days I will scan a page out of my moms copy. If you order the 1950's copy of this book they have taken this info out. I think that's a shame, regardless of it being oppressive it is part of our history and certainly part of the American culture of 1950's domestic ideology. And, as much as I hate to say it, and even though these are not popular ideas one has to admit there is probably some truth in it. But I also like the saying "Happy Wife, Happy Life". I heard that on The Real Housewives of New Jersey! haha

Here is the Recipe

Post Office Idol

If you read any of the jibberish I write you know that I'm trying my hand at Etsy. The above photo is a watercolor I did that a lovely man from Sweden named Krister purchased along with two other paintings. This was very exciting for me because growing up and even into adulthood I've been obsessed with Swedish culture. It's even lead me to a "shady" past. When I was about 13 I never returned a book on Sweden to the school library... on purpose...don't worry I paid the fine for a "lost book" but I will forever feel guilty that the next kid who wants to do a book report on Sweden will now have to pick Estonia or Latvia.

On to my point...obviously a trip to the post office was in order, also some paperwork for customs that would prove to be slightly lengthy. After getting my artwork boxed up at the packaging counter a woman entered the post office with an announcement to the people in line.

"Whoever parked their car and left in running is blocking the mail trucks and no one can get out!" A woman who was about halfway up the line threw her package down on the counter, rolled her eyes and huffed off saying "I guess that would be me!"

The woman with the announcement entered the back of the line and I had finished my package so I took my spot right behind her. A few minutes later the double parked woman came back in reach in front of the announcement woman to grab her package she left and said "can I cut in line?" Before I go on I have to tell you I was shocked that this woman would have the nerve to not only be so inconsiderate to park behind people just so she would be close to the door, or she was in a hurry, or whatever her excuse was, but the fact she had the nerve to ask to cut in line!

I bring you Post Office Idol....announcement womans reply was very stern...

"NO. What you do was so rude." (at this point I became a little giddy inside because I would have been like..."oh, ok, no problem" even though I would be wishing I had the nerve to tell this woman how rude she was.) Double parked woman just stormed out. It was great!

It seems like people are always taking advantage of other people and to see someone stand up and say NO...your rude was fantastic!

P.S. The Swiss Chard is still going strong...I am thinking about planting a "winter spinach garden" this fall!

Bird Brain: Robin and Mabel

This is a bird brain I did of my sister and her daughter...I

am taking custom orders for your own bird brains! Obviously it's not going to look like you, but I can do a representation of you...hair, beauty mark...that sort of thing.

Finally....some cooperation!

Finally some cooperation! The "Red Spotted Purple" butterfly in the above photos let me take a ton of close ups unlike his buddy the other day (see previous post). The only real disappointment was that the largest monarch I've ever seen would not hold still for a shot...I stood out there forever ( have 15 or so mosquito bites to prove it) waiting to catch a shot...finally I said forget it and snapped this one of him flying around behind our garage.

Finally some

Dreams, Butterflies, Rainbows, and Lollipops

There is nothing about rainbows and lollipops in this post, but dreams yes, and butterflies yes. First off, I'm a house hunting junky and I just can't get this one out of my head. I want it...or at least one like it. Simple, clean, charming, charming, charming. A house that can have bunting on it and hold a modern work of yard art. I love the windows of this house. One day I'll find my saltbox (this is not a saltbox but it's almost as good).

On to butterflies...I've taken a TON of photos of butterflies and one thing they all have in common is they are showoffs. They love the camera. Their like Naomi Campbell minus the attitude. Well until today....this little prima donna would not let me get close at all, and I never EVER find blue butterflies. This was the closest I could get. Just as I gave up and was heading inside this poor little ugly duckling moth came along with a "pick me pick me" attitude ....I didn't want to hurt his feelings.

Queen of Sheba Louisville and Bird Brains

Meet my "Bird Brains"...
In order we have Penelope, Beatrice, and Deirdre. It seems I'm incorporating the little black birds again. It's something I noticed about 2 years ago...looking around the living room all of a sudden I realized I had a metal sculpted lamp with birds perched on a "branch", a pillow with some mod looking birds, a painting with birds and well...you get the picture. As for the Queen of Sheba bit....the boy and I ate at this great little restaurant with the for mentioned name. It's Ethiopian food and was very tasty! We had a shared platter of beef Derek Tips (YUM!), lentils that I believe were called Kik wot, and Alicha Doro wot-a chicken and potato dish cooked with garlic, ginger and turmeric. It was also served with a fantastically fresh salad with lemon dressing that was a real treat considering most restaurants serve that disgusting, dried up, preservative coated, gross bag lettuce. The dish comes out on a giant silver platter and you are served this soft bread type of thing called Injera...looks sort of like a spongy pancake that you use to scoop up your food. It was a bit strange eating my salad with my fingers, it does however state on the menu that forks are available upon request. But hey...when in Rome (or Ethiopia)!

If your in Louisville and want something different this is a great place!

Oy it's hot...

It's soooo hot out today, I think tomorrow is supposed to be something like 100 degrees! As a former resident of Arizona 100 degrees should not be that big of a deal, but with the Kentucky humidity pressing down it's miserable.

I spent a good 20 minutes outside today taking photos of some of my illustrations. I've been eaten alive by mosquitoes all in the name of art! I decided to put my stuff back up on Etsy. I think my first try was half hearted. You know, with work getting in the way of my hobbies and whatnot ;-) Etsy was a great experience and I need to really give it a serious try ( as I intend to do!)