Let it Fly

Out of ideas?

You know when you get to that point in the Summer where you start to run out of inexpensive ways to keep the kids busy? How about a pie throwing afternoon in your backyard? (No actual pie's were harmed, just whipped cream in pie plates ;)

Worked for us :)

                                                                                                                                

                                                              

                                                                      

                                                                  

Yes, they got me too but I have no pictures to prove it .....

Have a great weekend!

Another creator in the house.....

A beautiful, sunny day on Saturday had all of us outside finding all sorts of things to do. Sprinklers, picnic lunches, weeding and clipping of bushes and just to throw a curve -ball in there.......... guitar painting!

Yes, I said guitar painting. We had an old yard sale find guitar that was a junior version of a regular acoustic. Some of the finish has been rubbed off and it only has 3 strings left but it has a certain charm and we keep it around just because it makes us happy to look at it. Well, my daughter got inspired and asked if she could paint it and give it some new life...........

It came out fantastic !

I have come to the conclusion that I will need some kind of support inside my cement and rock construction so I am thinking about how to make that before I dive into mixing cement :) Also, I have been asked to do quite a bit of hand-stitching for my part-time job this week. So, I'll be back soon.

Have a good week!

Stones and cement

Bought supplies:

Proceeded to admire yet another quirky illustration:

This gentleman looks very 50's era to me. I'm getting a kick out of the wrinkles in his shirt and the green slacks  (had to say slacks...it's such a 50's word) 

I started collecting stones here and there but have a way to go to get as many as I'll need. Since I'm guessing I'll need to build this sculpture in stages so the cement will dry and support each layer (instead of melding together into a big blob!) the stone gathering can happen slowly.

Another wonderful, inspiring, thing that has been holding my attention these last two weeks are several of the journals of May Sarton. Love her writing, words, observations. I only recently even learned her name and it was from the lovely quotes posted over at Swirlygirl from time to time. Thanks Christine!

Back soon with sculpture progress....... ;) 

A gift

Hey, how are you? A couple of hours of free time have magically dropped into my lap today, so I thought I'd take a minute to say hello. Free hours are pretty rare in the Summer when school is out but thanks to invitations from friends and a baseball camp, my children are happily occupied elsewhere for a few hours. I have stitching work waiting in the studio and laundry needing to be folded but I am determined to let that all wait. Although I've been cooking and knitting and sketching to keep my creative urges under control, bigger things need to be accomplished this week and I want to start today!

I had a dream the other night where I was standing in the middle of a flat, dry, desolate desert. Right in front of me stood a magnificent sculpture made of cement and stone. A description is not really going to do it justice but it resembled the necks of two giraffe's entwined and rising up about 100 feet in the air. About two hundred feet in the distance stood another one and then another and another, with space between each, all the way to the horizon. I can't seem to get these out of my head and have been drawing the forms over and over trying to get them exactly the way I saw them. The next step for me is to build a model, which brings me back to the few free hours I have in front of me:) The first step is to get the materials needed so I'm off to do that......

Before I go, here's a little project my daughter designed and I created as a gift for a friends' birthday:

The paint is metallic silver and as you can see, we went for the classic comedy/tragedy masks for this acting enthusiast. Freezer paper stencils strike again:) I can't seem to get enough of this project. It's just too easy and fun to translate your designs onto fabric this way....

I'm going to head out to the store for sculpture supplies before my time is up! Hope your days are productive and happy.

back soon....

Welcome to my food blog?

It seems that most, if not all, of my creative urges are going into cooking this week. On todays's menu we have oven roasted baby potatoes:

I tossed about a pound of baby Yukon Gold potatoes with 2 or 3 teaspoons minced garlic, a generous helping of olive oil, a teaspoon or two of fresh chopped parsley and a 1/2 teaspoon of the secret ingredient that I throw in everything lately, Cavender's all purpose greek seasoning. 

I love the illustration of the greek chef with his pinky up . Is it my eyesight or is he seasoning an oven mitt? ;) Ok, I know it is supposed to be a steak but you have to admit it looks like a big puffy red oven mitt....

But I digress. The last step is to spread the potatoes out on a cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Yum!

Can you guess what the next items are ?

Beets! I personally love them but I know many people have a strong aversion. They have such a wonderful earthy flavor and smooth texture. If you've never tried them, give it a shot. I just boiled these beauties and plan to skin them, chop into large chunks and toss with red lettuce and goat cheese that I found at the store today. 

There is also fresh kale and some turkey sausage waiting to be whipped up into a main dish but since I haven't tackled that yet, I have nothing to share in the way of a recipe. I think it will probably be inspired by the Portuguese sausage soup I made last year but will be less.......um.......soupy.

Hope your days are full of some kind of creating and that you enjoy these recipes if you have a chance to try them.

Back soon :)

Pickles anyone?

Hey, how is your week going? Mine has been flying by, just like the rest of our Summer here in New England. Our CSA has been working out great again this year and last week we got some beautiful cucumbers in our order. My mom sent me a recipe for tarragon pickles and they came out yummy although the next time I will leave the spice packets in the jars for a little longer. I didn't get a strong tarragon taste with this batch and I would like to next time.

This recipe was in the New York Times a few weeks ago and now it is here for you to enjoy! Let me know how yours come out if you try it. It's pretty easy once you have all your ingredients gathered. Have fun!

Tarragon Cucumber Pickles

2 large cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds)

4 large tarragon sprigs, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

2 bay leaves

4 cups plain rice wine vinegar

3/4 cup sugar.

1. Slice cucumbers crosswise 1/4 inch thick, and pack into 2 quart-size jars. Divide tarragon, mustard seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds and bay leaves between 2 double layers of cheesecloth. Tie into bundles with string.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar with sugar and bundles of pickling spices, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour brine over cucumbers, pack bundles of pickling spices on top and let cool. Discard spices, close jars and refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably 3. Serve cold.

Yield: 2 quarts.

Summer is here

Happy belated 4th of July to those of you in the United States! Well, the sun finally came out and has, thankfully, been shining for 4 days. The holiday weekend involved fireworks, hot dogs, beach bumming, iced coffee, s'mores, hikes in the woods......some of my favorite things. (well, not hot dogs but the kids like 'em!)

A couple of things I have been wanting to share keep getting bumped down the list but today is the day. I have been participating in my first e-course "In the Fishbowl" with Marisa and have really been enjoying it. This format works so great for me because I can log in and review the weeks podcast when I have a chance. A new class is posted each Thursday and I can listen to it anytime before the next Thursday to stay in the loop. Everyone is welcome to comment and pose questions and answers so as a result there is an ongoing discussion that has been created. The course so far has touched upon questioning where you are and where you want to go, establishing or enhancing your online presence, and setting up an online shop. Please be aware that this description is VERY basic. There is so much more information, detail and encouragement packed into the classes that it would be impossible to list it all. Lets just say I am very glad to have signed up and through my notes and answering the questions that Marisa has posed, I feel like I am making progress in how I am thinking about my future and where I want to go. Can't wait until this Thursday!  **  Quick note: Thank you to all the fellow "fish" that have stopped by to comment and say hello. It's great to get to know some of you through your blogs and to hear about what you are getting from Marisa's course!

The other place I wanted to tell you about is a site called Pecannoot set up by Jessica Gonacha. Jessica has several blogs and some beautiful work out there. This particular blog focuses on showcasing

works by many different people that are aligned with the theme of abundance in our lives. She welcomes submissions of artwork, photographs, etc. all related to that theme. I submitted a photo of the "shell tree" I posted here a while back. Remember the one? It was a tree on the beach on Cape Cod where people had written on seashells and then tied them to the tree to show appreciation for each other?  Mini-tributes so to speak. This sight is full of beautiful examples of what we all have to be grateful for. If you have work or photos that fit the bill, get on over there and submit so we can all see!  :)

Speaking of abundance, my husband and I realized not long ago that an unexpected, beautifully presented, delicious breakfast prepared by our children can be a potent reminder of why we should be grateful for so many things every single day. Simple abundance.

Hope your day is going well :) back soon.....

Drip drip drop

Good Morning! Today's theme song..........

"...and the rain rain rain came down down down in rushing, rising, riblets........and the rain rain rain came down down down and washed away little piglet............"

Anyone remember that from Winnie the Pooh ?? Well, it's safe to say I could construct a hundred paper boats and float them all in my backyard today. It's beginning to look very tropical out there with layers and layers of water pouring from the sky. If the light was better I could take a photo to show you but, since it seems as if it is 10 o'clock at night the song above will have to serve in place of a visual :)

Hope you are enjoying a bit of sunshine where you are! We have decided to go to a local spot for hot coffee and pancakes to keep dry and content.....

back soon

I ? New York

click here for a giggle ;)   i feel relatively neutral about new york shirt.  

 Cracked me up. People are so clever, I tell ya.

:):)