Painting

It's something I used to do. And now I do more of it.

Like... all. the. time.

I was invited by a friend/co-worker/worship leader to paint during a recent worship experience. He said, "Use this as an opportunity to do something you've dreamed of doing." So I purchased a huge canvas. I would've purchased bigger however upon inspection, I realized that I might not be able to reach the top once it were on my easel.

I went with 3' x 4'. 4' being just one foot short of my 5' spunky self.

The jitters haunted me all day. I imagined myself getting halfway through the painting and with several hundred witnesses, facing a bitter failure of work. I tinkered with colors, and musings, and my own heart.

It finally came down to me standing behind a black curtain, begging God to inspire my hands and heart beyond my own understanding.

I read a quote yesterday that said, "Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better."(Andre Gide)



There it stood. Daunting. Ambitious. The butterflies swarmed my insides as the music started. But it happened. With or without me, God sweeps in and captures hearts. I'm just glad that I was able to be a part of it last night. More than anything, I was reminded that I am His masterpiece. I am a canvas, thrashed and covered with color and scratches, rags dragged along my surface to clean and create. I like knowing this side of my Creator. Like a friend once said, "I feel like God understands me when I dance," I can echo her. I feel like God understands me when I paint. And if that's all it is, I'm ok with that.

Wait No More!

I know you've just been dying to know what I've been up to. Haven't you been waiting by your computer with baited breath, one mouse click away from TOB's latest words?

No?

Ah well.

Here are some of my paintings available for purchase just to tie you over to my next post...

The Move

AH again... things get sorted into piles, "keep" "give away" "trash"...

Moving. The arduous process of packing up your belongings. Sometimes I'm tempted to box them up and dump them all without looking. I genuinely dislike having so many "things."

Things that have no value.
Things that have sentimental value, but mean nothing to a stranger.
Things to look at. Wonder at. Smile at.

Things that I have to dust. Clean. Put away. Open. Close. Forget about.

THINGS.

Boxes labeled "kitchen" "baby" "office" "master"...

can't I just label some of them "trash" or "open at your own risk."

The last time we moved, I had a box labeled "If You Drop This, I'll kill you." That's the absolute truth.

Perhaps I should label some things to say "Please Don't Steal This".. like the bottle of wine that never showed up after some "hired help" moved our belongings.

Moving. To 35 minutes south. A new neighborhood. New town with new places to eat and call "home". A new zip code.

I travel around the Web looking at interior design ideas, paint colors, furniture, fabrics... time to make a change.

A new start.

So about that box labeled, "Old Things." I think I'm ready to toss it.

On a side note, be sure to stop by my new Etsy store to see some paintings I've been doing. I'll do my best to add my new ones every week!

First Birthday

Lots of firsts this year. This was one to celebrate.

To go from this...


To this...


The three of us celebrated with a trip to the toy store, pizza and cake. Not just any cake... but the kind that begs to be smashed and dug into with the eager hands of a new one year old. When she went head first, I was genuinely proud. I hope she lives her life that way - going in head first.

Figs and Ginger

This is me...


wearing my Figs and Ginger Bunny Necklace.

I won this necklace at The Bright Side Project for this entry:

mom and me, red cheeks
reaching high in autumn leaves
plump mac, sweet crisp love

Thanks Figs and Ginger and Bright Side Project!

You all should go and get involved in this fun community!

A Time to Be Born, A Time to Die

When time feels stolen, I remember...
... my mother-in-law who loved me like her own. Who held my pregnant belly with expectation, and watched for movements of the life that was to come. She cried when I cried and celebrated when I celebrated. She was elegant. Graceful. Poised. She linked arms with my own mother and like sisters, they shared stories and had tea and did what friends do...

Then she was gone. We miss you Mom - 10/20/2008

I didn't like watching my husband hurt. In fact, I felt more like I was soothing the broken heart of the boy inside him. The man was "strong". But that boy was broken. Sometimes I think he is still trying to find his bearings in a world without his mom.

“The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her.”

When love is multiplied, we celebrate...
... she pitter patters along the ground, noises forming almost words and giggles that chase the ants and her shadow. For this child who grips my shoulders with glee as the sun rises, and who has a fist grip on a cluster of strings that go straight to my heart. She is joy. Life. Discovery.

And on Thursday, she will be one year old.

"It was when I had my first child that I understood how much my mother loved me."

The Weekend/Weekend Recipes

The weekend crept slowly. I loved (mostly) every lingering, quiet minute. It is our weekend to soak up. Ours to revel in. To enjoy in the purest, simplest ways.

Weekends are made for snuggling under white down blankets and fresh-ground coffee brewing at 3 p.m. My own soul finds renewal in Anne of Green Gables at 9 a.m. and a cool afternoon breeze through the balcony door.

As we celebrated our two-year anniversary on a tight budget, I grocery-shopped in our kitchen, cupboards and fridge.

Here's my weekend recipes.

Baked Salmon with Herb Cream Cheese

• 1 T butter
• a dash of rosemary, basil and oregano
• 1 t fresh minced garlic
• 1/2 cream cheese, softened

Marinade salmon in olive oil, garlic, salt and rosemary for at least 1 hours. Preheat oven to 400. Blend cream cheese and other ingredients and top each filet with cream cheese blend. (I had four filets prepared). Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Broil for last 3 minutes to crisp top of cream cheese. I served this with Green Bean Almondine and Dirty Rice. It was a hit with everyone!

Chicken Taco Chili
This is called "what are we having for dinner?" and I started adding ingredients into the Crockpot. It turned out really good and we've been eating it for leftovers as well. I think this is going to be a staple this fall!

• 1 L water
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 can sweet corn
• 1 can black beans
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 large can tomato paste
• 3 chicken breasts, cubed, frozen
• half jar salsa
• 2 T sour cream
• half yellow onion, minced
  
• half green pepper, chopped
  
• 1/2 c. cubed colby/jack cheese
• a couple tsp garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste pepper
• 1 T or more of chili powder
• 1 T or more of taco seasoning
• dash of onion powder
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil

Dump it all in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 5-6 hours OR low 8 hours. Serve with sweet corn bread muffins!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread
straight from Betty Crocker herself!

• 1 c. water
• 2 T butter, softened
• 3 c. Better for Bread flour
• 3 T sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
• 3/4 raisins

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except raisins in bread machine, in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Add raisins at the raisin/nut signal, or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends.

Select Sweet or Basic/White cycle. Use medium or light crust color. Remove baked bread from pan and cool on wire rack.


Stuffed French Toast with Cinnamon Raisin Bread
I used the CR bread for this delectable breakfast. It was great! This made 4 thick slices of french toast. Enough for two + little one!

Stuffing

• half a block of cream cheese, softened
  
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Batter

• 4 thick slices of Cinnamon Raisin bread, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
  
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 225 degrees F. Blend together filling ingredients in small bowl until light and fluffy. Cut a small slice along the top of each piece, creating a pocket in the middle. Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling. Mix together the eggs, half-and-half and vanilla. Dip bread in egg mixture and cook on prepared griddle until both sides are golden brown, being careful to keep filling in bread pocket. Place cooked slices on baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.