Girls weekend!

I just returned home from a girls art weekend with my Long time girly friend Missy Trent   Be sure to check her blog @LaLaVagabond.blogspot.com

We had a wonderful time and it was so relaxing I didn't want to leave. Ill be going back in a couple of weeks to work on other projects that we started.

We tried our hand at painting wine glasses with Pebeo 150 porcelain paints. Can be purchased through Dickblick.com

Here is a sample of what we made so far. I enjoyed the process but found I liked the regular paint better than the pearlized version.

We also decided to play with paper clay and made these really cute Mermaids

Meet Mable and Penelope  they're best buds of the sea. They each have a starfish box to hold secret treasures. 

I can't wait to dive into more sculpting. I really enjoyed it. 

Now it's time to unwind and dive into more art projects!!

Have a blessed day!

Road Trip

I'm super excited! I leave in the morning to go visit my dear friend Missy for a girls Art weekend. We have some fun projects planned. I haven't seen her since last fall. It's going to be a blast!

I bought some new lenses for my iPhone to play with the camera and I went down by the river last night to mess around with it

Fish eye

 Wide angle

This is called the Keeper of The Plains. It's a beautiful statue downtown. You can see it from the highway.  

Here is the view looking up at it

Well I better get to packing and get some sleep!! Fun days ahead!

Tree House

I wish I had a tree house. How awesome would that be?

To frolic in the forest, so happy and care free.

For if I had a tree house, the fairies they would come.

 We'd be making wild strawberry jam and drinking chestnut rum.

 Once the jam was eaten and all the rum was gone.. laughter games and tricks we'd play on unsuspecting gnomes.

Mischief we would cause, for everyone involved,  but laughter love and happiness would surely be enough.

I wish I had a tree house to climb up in and read, curl up by the candlelight, enjoy the lovely breeze.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a tree house like one of the ones pictured?  I'd make it my art studio / get away.
I'd build a ramp for my dogs and have a big wildflower garden at the bottom. Shade of course :-)

Its so fun to dream!!!

It's raining outside today.. overcast and a little dreary out.  That's ok it is much needed.. my flowers and my garden are happy and that makes me happy.

We are supposed to be having my granddaughters 2nd birthday party today in my yard and since it's raining I suppose we will have to move indoors. I'm not sure how I am going to fit all those people in my house but I'm sure we'll manage somehow.

I better get moving and get things ready!

Thank you for dreaming with me!

Have a wonderful day!

p.s.  all images are borrowed and not my own on this post. :-)

A Mad Tea Party 2013

 A Mad Tea Party you say? 

 Why yes! What a wonderful idea!

We must figure out how to get there. 

Hmmmm here's a key to a door, I wonder where it leads? And however will I get it? Hmmm

Looking...looking... Wait what's this? 

Surely one of those will lead me to the tea party!

I suppose I'll try a little of each and see what happens!  

Ohhhh wowza!  Look at this magical place!  Could the tea party be in there?

I think we're on the right track!

Well hello Mr Rabbit, can you tell me where the tea party is?

Hmmm ok I guess I go that way. This is a very strange place.

What's this?  I wonder if he can tell me where to go?

Ohhh of course, this MUST be the place!

WOW, look at all the wonderful treats!! 

I'm sooo hungry!

I'm so glad I found it! Won't you join me? 

Who else can we invite?

Would you like to join me for a magical tea party?

You should see the spread! Sweets and treats for everyone!

Magical tea as well! Drink some of it and you'll feel really swell!

I think he's hiding *giggle* 

Wonder why?

Ok, time to return to the party! 

Now which way did I go?

Ohh yes!! Here we are!

There now, everyone is here in the magical garden having Mad Tea!

Sweets and treats and fun things to eat!

So many different teas!

Thank you so much for joining!

This was so much fun to put together, I even had my daughter help who is a professional photographer. Just wait til next year!! Let the planning begin!

So nice meeting you all!

Have a lovely day!

L 

Please be sure and stop by Vanessa's amazing Tea Party.. She is the brains behind this operation!
http://afancifultwist.typepad.com/a_fanciful_twist/2013/07/mad-tea-party-2013.html

Oatmeal Cookies

Time is certainly going fast this summer, I thought that was only supposed to happen when you're a child. Lol

I've been thoroughly enjoying each day playing outside, cherishing each moment I get with my fur babies and my granddaughter. I have a really amazing "farmer" tan. Silly

I've been trying new things lately. Baking without white flour. I've discovered oat flour and coconut flour. I've noticed that these flours are much more dense and require a moisture binder ( additional egg and or applesauce). I made some fabulous oatmeal raisin cookies with sunflower seeds and dark chocolate chips. I altered a recipe and made it my own. They were moist and chewy and oh sooo good. 

Recipe

1 1/3 c. Rolled oats

1 c. Oat flour ( you may use 1/2 c whole wheat and 1/2 c. oat)

1t baking powder

1/2t baking soda

1/2 c light brown sugar

1/2 c raw sugar

1/2 t cinnamon

1 egg

1/4 heaping cup applesauce

2 T un-salted butter melted

1t vanilla

1/4 c honey

1/4 c raisins

1/4 c dark chocolate chips

1/4 c sunflower seeds

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Mix first 4 dry ingredients in smaller bowl

In separate larger bowl mix egg, honey, applesauce, melted butter, vanilla and sugars. 

Slowly add dry ingredients to large bowl of of wet ingredients. Mix well then add raisins, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips 

Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. I used a seasoned baking stone without the parchment paper. 

Bake 10-12 mins. Move to wire rack to cool

Store in a sealed container. They are even moister and chewier the next day. Yum!

So now that I'm craving cookies lol

I took a break to water my garden and look what I found!

Looks like I'm going to be making some cucumber salsa. Oh and of course cucumber sandwiches for the mad hatter tea party tomorrow!

It's my first one so I've been trying to figure out what to so. I don't have a tea set. Then it hit me!!!

I hope it turns out how I'm hoping! 

See you all tomorrow!  

Have a splendid day!!

There are grapes in my garden

My Clematis finally bloomed. I planted it in May. Such a beautiful color!

I haven't been too exciting this past week staying pretty mellow. Sometimes that is much needed. 

I've been diving into new things. I love to cook, that's no secret so this past week I've challenged myself to try new things with ingredients I've never used. All completely low fat and high protein. 

I think I've done  alright so far. My family has been cool with it. I made a Mediterranean couscous with grilled chicken. It was really good. Strawberry spinach salad with homemade raspberry vonegarette. Omg its my fav

Then I tried Quinoa.made with shredded chicken, strawberries, toasted almonds and feta cheese marinaded with basil and lemon dressing Much to my surprise, I really liked it. I pinned the recipes on Pinterest under healthy recipes. I'm trying to get away from white flour and high sugar ingredients    What a challenge 

 

Checking on my garden we're making strides. My grapes are really getting big

I haven't had much time for any art this week   Sort of had the blues and haven't felt like it. Time to snap out of it. 

Can't believe tomorrow it the 4th already wow  this year has gone so  fast! 

Well I better get my butt moving or the day is going to start without me 

Happy 4th everyone!

Shrooms on my planter

I walked outside this morning to tend to my garden and saw these crazy mushrooms in my planter. Not sure what they are

Such a busy week. I've barely had time to sneeze   I have messed around in my art journal trying different techniques with my gelatos and silk acrylics

So I haven't had a lot of time to focus but more doodling.   Isn't that part of what an art journal is for? I don't always write my thoughts, sometimes it only reflects a feeling. 

Loren

My little 2 year old granddaughter Loren is a hoot!  

She loves coming to NaNa's house. We always find fun and interesting things to do.  This week we decorated NaNa's

 yard with chalk and we decorated ourselves

We swam

And played with NaNa's watercolors

 I guess we think its make up

Today I bought Loren her own watering can. This should be interesting

 

I will be writing more about her adventures in the future. She makes me giggle every time I see her. 

Yard yard yard

Once again I've spent the entire day outdoors. My poor hubby can't catch a break lol. I started early this morning painting a birdhouse and making a miniature garden for my mom

Then had her over for breakfast and surprised her ( kind of). 

Planted a couple hanging baskets then remembered that I had Elephant ears to plant. I completely forgot about those! 

So I went out front and planted them in the places I wanted them when I had an idea hit me!  Flower beds!  This is where hubby comes in. I remembered that we had some landscaping bricks on the side of the house so off we go loading up the cart. Poor guy only dumped the cart twice lol. Got them put in then decided I needed more plants and mulch. So off we go to Lowes. I swear I am officially done buying plants. I've been obsessed this year but boy does it look pretty. Anyway, flower beds are done!  Now I can beautifully hide the areas where the grass won't grow. 

I'd say things are shaping up around here!