Tuesday's art

Today was art with Danielle and she made a snowman painting/collage, thanks to "Deep Space Sparkle!"  She painted the three snowballs with white tempera paint, then the ground snow and the snowflakes.  I had other papers handy, so she chose and cut out a hat, scarf, and nose from those.  Using black oil pastels, she added the arms, buttons, eyes and the smile!  What a swirly, whirly snowman!  Perfect!  And it snowed today!

Feeling better today and so I ventured out.  Needed a little birthday gift and also needed to make a stop at the post office, just to drop letters off in the outside box, where I almost got clobbered!  Wow, all the kooks and nuts are out and they are in a hurry!  Came home and worked on my Wednesday's class stuff and also experimented with some ideas for the Gooseberry Luncheon coming up. 

 Here is a jar candle I made today.  Easy and I think quite nice, glowing colors of the season!

Almost time for bed and that's for today!

The last little blooms

 Here's for Suz!  The last of the blooms in my yard every year.  Wild snapdragons!  They grow in the rocks at the bottom of my deck every year.  I didn't plant them there.  They just flew in, I guess.

Little survivors they are.  It's November 28th and I took this picture yesterday.  They make me smile every summer when they come back... and they smile back all summer.

Mystery solved!

The unfamiliar parts that I showed you yesterday belong to the Magic Bullet that I bought years ago.  My son has it now and I will give these to him to use with the rest of it.  He knew and does use it!

Sinuses still playing havoc here with me, so today is a chicken soup day.  I think it's allergy.  Probably the dust that I'm moving around; some hasn't been moved in years!

Does anyone know?

 I'm still packing things back into my cabinets and still finding things that I forgot I had.  I do not know what this is.  Does anyone know?  I must have bought it from Pampered Chef, never used it, and am clueless as to what it does!

It must be really nice.  Help!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Feeling sinusey and so I am glad to have grapefruit in the house.  My mom is strong in my thoughts anyway this month because we are both November birthdays, and grapefruit always makes me thing of her more.  I think she ate a half grapefruit every day of her life.  I love them too.  She would eat them with a grapefruit spoon and honey drizzled on top, but not me - I just cut it up and gobble it down.  So juicy!  Grapefruit is loaded with Vitamin C and so good for the cold and flu season.  Today I used the honey too to make me feel better.  Yes, quite yummy!

Then I went on to try this new recipe I found.  "Cinnamon Pretzels".  Sounds like a good November snack, doesn't it?  Smells good too.  The recipe says "Sugary cinnamon meets salty pretzels in this super easy, gift-worthy snack mix."

2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 - 16 oz package small pretzel twists

In a large roasting pan, stir together oil, sugar and cinnamon.
Add the pretzels, toss well to coat with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake, uncovered, in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring twice.
Spread on waxed paper to cool.
Store in an airtight container.

So now, I'm having grapefruit and cinnamon pretzels for breakfast! 
I think I'll have a Hot Toddy tonight before I go to bed.  My Uncle Albert taught me that.  (another November birthday)  So warm and you sleep like a baby.

1 oz. brandy or whiskey
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 lemon
1 cup hot water
1 tea bag

Coat the bottom of a mug with honey
Add the liquor and the juice of the lemon quarter.
Pour hot tea into the mug and stir. 
Delightful!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Tuesday's fun with art

 Danielle and I had seen this idea at The Center where the Children's Art Class there had done some for one week's lesson.  They were so pretty and sparkly, we couldn't wait to try!  First we found some wonderful magazine pictures of yummy food.  Cut them out and then I traced them on cardstock, cut and glued the two  together for a heavier support for the glitter.  Then Danielle painted glue on each color part separately and gayly sprinkled her choice of glitter on.  Tap off the excess and let dry.

They had them hanging on a little tree at The Center's art show, so we decided to put cord or ribbon on them too for Daddy's Christmas tree. 

"They sure look good enough to eat!"  says Henri!

Something old, something new

Just beginning to put things away after our new countertop was installed.  It's a jobful of decisions.  What to put where again.

New and bright and shiny.  I will try not to clutter.  I will try not to clutter.  I will try not to clutter.  I will try not to clutter.

 But the old treasures will stay.  With having to empty everything out of the cabinets, there are things that I forgot I had!  And there are things that I love and use all the time and I had to look at them in their new environment and show you.  This is my grandmother's lemon squeezer.

And this is her cooking fork.  They love to be shown off.  The joy of cooking!

A festive November

Friday night, we went to see "The Lion King" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago.  A beautiful production with fabulous voices and costumes! 

Saturday brought our "early" Thanksgiving feast.  This was the day we could all be together and so that's what we did and we were very thankful for it. Well almost all together, but we called Brent at school and all got to talk to him. Julie and I made dinner together at her house and this was her bountiful table decoration.  So pretty!

 Sunday was the big art show at The Center.  As you enter, this is the Fellowcrafters' holiday gift shop looking very Christmas-ey. 

It was a very nice afternoon, but we could have used a few snow flurries to put everyone in the mood and next year I must remember Christmas music.

Art Show Today!

It has been a busy busy week, and I will have to catch up with you later, because today is the Art Show at The Center and me and my elves are still scrambling and preparing!  Oh...and  "Happy Birthday" to Me!

Come One!  Come All!
The Center's Art Show
Sunday, November 21st
12700 Southwest Highway
Palos Park
Noon till 4:00 p.m.

Venus,Oh Venus...

"Yes there really is a Venus, Doris."  It's in the eastern sky and hugely bright again this morning, if you are up early at 5 a.m. like me.  It's amazing to see!  I always rely on http://www.earthsky.org/ to tell me what is greeting me when I go out with Henri in the morning.

"Venus, goddess of love that you are
Surely the things I ask
Can't be too great a task.

Hey, Venus
Oh, Venus
Make my wish come true..."

Wild Wednesdays

Yesterday was a busy day!  So what's new?  I forgot to take pictures of my class in the morning and everyone is well into their altered board books!  Next time!  Quilting in the afternoon, followed by a cooking class by Julie, our new chef at The Center.  "Holiday Appetizers and Canapes."  Everything gets so pretty with a pastry bag - I think I have to have one!  And in quilting class, there are so many fun and pretty things to make and I am working on several projects, now including a tree skirt!

Made with 5" squares.

I couldn't resist those robins!

Oh my goodness, and now this morning - did you see Venus?  So so bright!

Class collage project

Working on my altered book for my Wednesday's class.  There are just enough page spreads to do the days of the week.  Certainly most pages not done, but maybe some are...maybe not.  I keep going back and forth looking and adding.  "Sunday", the first day of the week, begins with "hope".

 and a tribute to our Sunday family suppers.

Monday is filled with "wonder" and the excitement of lettering and creativity.

Ooops.  Another view of both days.

 Tuesday is devoted to "play" because Danielle is here and we play!

 Wednesday is "plan", honoring collage and quilting.

Thursday will be for Pen & Ink and Painting.  "Dream".
Friday will be for thinking.  "Think".  A page about writing and poetry and Brent.  I am still thinking about that one!

Saturday is for wishing.  "Wish".  Wishing all our weeks are full and happy as I've made this one be.

the rest of the story...

Okay!  Here's the scoop on what makes that pot roast dinner so special!  The gravy has Guiness, worchestershire, bay leaf and fresh thyme in it for its wonderful flavor.  And the "Old Fashioned Apple Crisp" has fresh orange and fresh lemon zest added.  yum.  yum. 

more from the weekend!

Dinner at Julie's on Saturday night, when she and Dan cooked up a meal that they learned in a cooking class at Joliet Junior College!  A very very tastey pot roast recipe with all the trimmings!

 The potatoes were riced for mashing.

A delicious juice from the meat to pour over all.  Carrots.  Oh, and Apple Crisp for dessert!

"Missy" thinks it all smells pretty good!

That was Saturday.  Then last night was the Annual Meeting at The Center; always a lovely evening with  vespers, a beautiful buffet supper, the business meeting, and an always entertaining and most wonderful slide/movie program.  We're hoping that Mark will make some copies available for sale!  (hint-hint)

....."Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again."

November 14

 "Memory...is the diary that we all carry about with us."  Oscar Wilde
"Happy Birthday, Mama!"

And to my dear Uncle Albert..."happy birthday to you too." 
A day doesn't go by that I don't think of you both and miss you so.

This morning's artwork

As I said in my previous post, I knew there would be lots of drawing and coloring going on here this morning.  Here Danielle drew a beautiful ballerina, all ready for her ballet class holding her bag that held her dance things, and her lunch bag.  She has a lengthy ballet class!  She also brings along her dog and her pet cat.

 Then, I encouraged her to do some drawings in my MYM journal.  Here we have a wonderful footed pot of flowers with a cardinal eating seed at the botton.  There's also a butterfly at the top, a little worm in the pot, a bunny, a puddle of water that spilled after sprinkling the flowers, and an ant family eating a block of swiss cheese.

Then we have a neighborhood of little houses with smoke coming out of their chimneys, a puppy, and cars driving down the street going to a CVS Pharmacy!

Okay...now it's my turn!

a beautiful November

Yesterday was a bittersweet day.  Visited an old friend in the afternoon.  One of my very first "teen-age" friends.  I have not seen her in years and years and now she is very sick.  I am so glad I got to spend time with her.  She is so strong and has a beautiful faith.  Today, it's a beautiful morning.  Her energy is shining through the trees.

...and last night I had an "overnight" with a "princess".  See her sparkly overnight bag!  There will be lots of drawing and painting going on here this morning!

Friday again!

Another week gone!  So much to do!  I need to work on some more MYM journal pages.  I have been passing it around to some of my art class friends and now I need to get busy.

This is the last page I did.  I love this image that I found.

Yesterday was Pen&Ink class and I'm finally "getting on" with this drawing.

To end the day, Julie and my cousin's daughter came over for supper.  She brought me this beautiful autumn bouquet.  Scalloped potatoes and pork chops were on the menu.  Fresh green beans and homemade applesauce too!  Scandanavia Almond Cake and some of my friend Lora's pumpkin bread for dessert.  Perfect!  Comfort food!

Collage class today

 I forgot to bring my camera today!  And everyone was so busy creating!  So...here are mine.  The beginning of my first two page spreads.  "The days of my life", always starting in the early morning, for me and my morning glories, looking at the moon and Jupiter.

The first day of the week, Sunday, filled with love and hope and a happy family togetherness and dinner.

Monday mornings bring thoughts of lettering practice for afternoon class.

And then afternoon calligraphy class.