Beautiful Breakfasts

This breakfast was like eating dessert. So early in the morning I felt guilty. Truth be told it is thick creamy-vanilla, greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and honey drizzled on top. Delicious. I made this the last two mornings and it is heavenly and only cost about 75 cents. It's very easy on the eyes if you are not a morning person. Gone are the days where we raced around the kitchen counter and grabbed a banana or just a cup of coffee and dashed out the door. I always seemed to spill the coffee somewhere on myself. Before I even got to work. Trying to consume food when the stress meter is bouncing off of the top of the meter every time we look at the clock is not good. Drinking coffee in stop and go traffic is not good. I am still in a rush in the 'moronings (my word for frantic mornings) but I just eat breakfast later after the rush, but still before lunch!

Country Christmas

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I hope your Christmas Day was pleasant.
Ours has been. Our house has not been as fragrant since the last holidays. The ovens have been fired up and the fragrance and visiting wonderful.

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Wishing you the merriest Christmas.

Moss Badge Theatre

To make something look pure, fresh amd organic add a moss badge to it. A stamp of approval! A living stamp.




If you can't find the orginal lid to the vintage cream/milk jar make cookie lids! Very organic and yummy and they don't last long.





There has been a little moss theatre taking place at my house.




A heart badge for this darling and wee sized pumpkin.




Do you eat food that is sprayed not just once but many times? (Apples are sprayed weekly!) How would you make a symbol that stood for organic. This is my design here.








Hope you're having a great creative weekend! Eat well.

Connecting up with these great friends:

Stuff and Nonsense

Show off your Cottage Monday

October Snow

Nothing like a little snow to stir things up and then shut things down. I took a few pictures with my camera phone half kiddy because it was beautiful. There were big, wet flakes, sloppy at first and then huge flakes tumbled down from the biggest fluffiest goose ever it seemed. Fluffy but heavy enough to knock over trees and power lines.

The sugar maple tree above was aglow in the snow like a jack-o-lantern just as happy as we were.





I was very happy until I realized our power was out when I went back in the house. It rather dampened my gleeful spirit, but kids only think of fun things like sledding. Over the summer you forget how quiet a calm snowfall is. You are in the middle of a caccoon and you focus only on the things nearest you.






Our power came back on in a few hours and once again we were thankful for the important things, a home, a warm bed and our westie dog's cold nose pushing against our hands, and each other safe and sound.

Vintage Glory Flower Photographs

There is something appealing about time-worn photographs. (Kind of like faded denim.) Since I don't have so many vintage photographs I have to make them look that way. I love bright, colorful floral photographs, but lately I love the "milky way" look as well. Do you not think it has a romantic look to it? I just picked a few asters, a few lavender flowers, a few sedum from the variegated form as they have the whitest buds and last forever, and a few sage leaves for scent.

Peaches Say Sweet Summer

Hello! How is everyone? I have been busy and my computer crashed and burned. But then there is peaches. So sweet! I think they are my favorite fruit. Favorite at the moment. They are like golden sunshine balls filled with sweet tart sugar. I could sing praises all day for peaches.

I have enough to make some french tarts, peach and lemon jam and peach banana and soy milk smoothies with a pinch of honey. So delicious. This all sounds heavenly but I have lots of other things to do as well on the farm.

Siamese Cat Nap and Roses

Today I think Spring arrived. I passed a sign today at a nursery that said, "Spring is coming," and I had to smile thinking ..."It's already here." Yay. I painted this watercolor titled Spring Songs and listed it on ebay. It has some of my favorite things in it. Topiaries, roses, gardens, siamese kitties, birds, white table top, paintings...well it has the side of a painting and last but not least the soft lime green color!

Crochet Doily-How to Heart Cone Tutorial

Make this sweet lacy cone heart in just a few minutes. I've made some and now want to share this idea with my blogger friends.




Start out with a crocheted doily like this. I used a bright white small one.



Fold the left half under so that there is a half circle on top.



Fold the right side under so that there are two half circles on top that make a heart! So cute and simple.




To secure the heart shape. I used gingham ribbon. I went in from the front right side through a large opening then through the back side through another large opening (no needle needed). Come across the back and then start back through the back right side to the front.



This is how the back will look when the ribbon pulled snug.




Then all you have to do is tie just like a shoe string in the front. This is so sweet, shabby and cute! You've also made a cone. You can slip a flower, some candy hearts, or a ring inside!


Note: For a perfect bow turn the heart upside down and tie. Meaning tie with pointed end upwards to tie. Then turn back around and the bow strings will hang downwards instead of upwards.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Edible Heart Treats

Dress up your breakfast for your Valentine.



Instead of a just a slice of bread use your heart shaped cookie cutter for a perfect heart. I then put some delicious apple butter on top in a heart shape...and now I feel like a princess!



Here we have the westie who is the Queen's Food Taster. These hearts are very cute too and tasty. An watercolor 2.5 by 3.5-inches aceo I have for sale.

The Little Details

These new khaki raincoats for little girls are from Land's End. I just love the little ruffles along the bottom.

Ruffles are in on everything.

Big ruffles.

Little ruffles.

Ruffles are beautiful.

Just as long as we don't get, "ruffled up." That is not beautiful.





I've finished a few more aceo watercolors. This one is titled "Watering Hope".

Some things just take time to bloom.

We have to be patient.

We have to nurture it and protect it.

Watercolor Aceo and Mermaids

On Board

Smaller and smaller my paintings become. I am bending over farther and farther to paint and am glad I can stretch back out. Truthfully the smaller the paintings are the harder they become because you have to edit your ideas. But ironically I seem to be putting more elements into the smaller ones. Go figure. I think the dreaminess and purity of watercolors is what draws me to this medium.

I had mentioned earlier about some exciting news. Some art shows and groups allow members once a year on a blind juried basis. There is one coming up that I would love to be a part of. To do this you need a large number of new artistic endeavors to show plus a larger number of past works. Then they decide whether you can be a member and be associated with this elite (read hard to get into) group. Quite a few apply. Many are declined and only a few are choosen. I am aiming for the moon and entering. Aim high. Work hard. (play hard.) Work some more!

Watercolor Aceo Fever- Let it Snow

A wonderful NEW watercolor set has finally been opened and this is my first with it tonight. I actually was waiting up a bit to see if it was really going to sleet and ice rain tonight. In between 10 other projects (only slight miscalculation, it's more like 100 other projects) I opened the watercolor set. Watercolors are challenging as one cannot dream and paint--which means you must be fully awake. They are also so fresh looking.

Ice rain is a headache for us (for obvious reasons) because we are in a hilly area and some country roads do not have any shoulders here. So if someone ahead of you starts spinning out going uphill all of us behind are stuck. To back up a bit, we have to make it to the car first without injury! Then we move on to worry two.

To back up even further to cats and snow, which is the reason I did this painting. Our tom cat is so heavy that he falls through the snow. The others tip toe right across the top of the crusted snow. He needs snow shoes. He doesn't care as we're around he just wants to snuggle and rub his head against us. My son named him Happy and I had named him India at first because I thought he was a she, but that is another story.

Maple Syrup Art Snow Candy

Instant candy. I took our maple syrup put it in a plastic bottle and made some candy art. It's an hard to recognize owl that is endangered to our sugar cravings. It's the perfect winter scene here. No wind at all the past few days and lots of fluffy white frosting, sugarless frosting on everything. We were thinking of Laura Ingalls and their snowy winters long ago.



A country lane. Yes this is a road.



With all of the running and jumping through the snow our westie finally felt tired yesterday. Last night he was enduring my photo snapping trying hard to keep his eyes open. Right after this picture he put his head down and with an oomph sigh he was fast asleep. We haven't seen any squirrels at all the past few days. It must be too hard to navigate the snow on all of the branches. Every twig and branch is a snowy mountain peak.

I'm glad the birds are playing hop-scotch on the wild plant seedheads. That will mean less weeds to pull this spring. The chances of them eating every last seed is slim but it's still a beautiful sight to seem the birds cleaning up.

Westie Dog Valentine Clothes

We've been having fun around here. Snow seems to put everyone in a laughing, playful mood. The only thing that dampens that spirit is snow in your boots. Your ears can be cold, and your nose, but when your feet get cold it's time to go inside.

Snow is one of those challenging things to paint. I look out the window and am amazed at how the colors change from clouds zipping overhead. The other morning it was 10 degrees here and the playful mood was a bit slower waking up. Even Sir Salty had to just sit a bit and take it all in then he was off to look around. He loves it when it is snowing. I do believe he thinks it's bird feathers falling. He races around searching as if searching for a bird in the snow.

I see the trees lined along the town roads with squirrels nests high above all of the homes. They are all tucked up inside those swinging, leaf baskets warm and cozy. A squirrel must have written the lyrics to rock-a-bye-baby-on-a-tree-top.

Back to Valentine's Day...They have fun party glasses for every occasion and this westie has hers on and just needs a party to go to. This is an oil aceo that I listed on ebay.

Let the party begin!

Westie Dog Aceo Oil Painting Portrait

Westies are so playful and full of energy 99 percent of the day. I don't often paint them sleeping because my westie does very little of that. He is like a jumping, spinning, running, laughing cheerleader. And he wants to share all of this fun with me which makes me a very lucky person!

This aceo I listed on ebay today it is an canvas oil aceo size, 2.5 by 3.5 inches and titled, SNOW DAY. These small little paintings will grab your attention especially when they are filled with cotton candy dogs.

Bunny Rabbit Doll Folk Art

Bunny has slippers that look like Easter peeps marshmallows. This new little rabbit is about as sweet as you can get without any sugar.

One might be surprised at how long each clay doll takes to make. I make them without molds and I shape them with my hands over a wood and foam base that I have assembled first. This makes for a good, sturdy clay rabbit. It takes a day or more to dry. Then I gesso it, paint it, antique it and varnish it. By that time Bunny and I have shared many conversations about life and know alot about each other! Thus the big ears. They are good listeners and all the while Bunny is as pleased as punch about the pink slippers and is not moved by any of my stories.

Life is good. Especially when cute shoes are involved.

The Magical Whites of Winter

We've hardly had any Canada geese this winter. Granted most decide to go to the Carolinas for the winter and sunbathe a bit near the ocean. Yesterday was different. We had a field full of them and the silence that fresh fallen snow brings was lost while they all honked a hello and nice to know you to me. I think they are gorgeous, elegant and right up there next to swans for beauty and grace.

Pink Mushroom Girl Valentine Wood Pendant/Pin

Meet the Pink Mushroom Cap Girl. She has been featured before in my paintings, but here she is on a wooden pendant that I hand painted and varnished. Each wooden block (if I can say block even though it's a circle) is an original work of art. No two are exactly the same. The exciting part is that you get to choose whether you want it as a brooch or as a necklace pendant.

My love for mushrooms came from my childhood. In Montana after a rain shower my mom would take us out and we'd look for morel mushrooms near the streams and river. I loved the damp smell of earth in the spring and still do. Whenever I walk into a greenhouse I inhale memories and good feelings of gardening dreams.

I'm adding some new categories to my etsy store. Wooden Pendants is one being added and more varieties of art are coming in the next few days. I am excited!

Rubber Duckies Think It's Christmas Again

We have snow. Beautiful snow. It fell so gently and the flakes were itsy bitsy. Soon they were fat and fluffy and it is so calm outside. It is a snowboarder's dream. The sun is shining bright now and not windy. No school so the slopes are probably full. These two rubber duckies, I bought in Florida recently... someone had to rescue them and bring them back to cold country...think it's Christmas time again! Woo hoo!

I noticed the deer glide silently by the window. They are such quiet animals. We are down to 5 now. Hunting season has finally ended. Yay! So hopefully these five (which used to live in a group of 9) will stay safe.

Now to shovel out to the top of the hill so we can get out. First more cocoa.

Penguin Sculpture Art Dolls Miniatures

The Conductor Sculpture

Penguins have the uncanny upright posture that makes them excellent conductors! They can handle any weather and still retain their upright posture and composure.

We've all heard, "What's black and white and read all over?" It's the penguin conductor with his music. (The next time someone says the newspaper you must tell them the truth about the conductor penguin.)

I hand sculpted the penguin out of clay and the box is made of paper mache which I primed, painted, antiqued and varnished. It is a "working work of art," not to be confused with the term "they are a piece of work," which is not a good work of work or term of endearment (the english language!) You can store little treasures, jewelry, acorns, or moss in it is the point that I am paddling around trying to catch.

More facts and information here on the sweet conductor who wants to be the director of music at your home. Penguin loves it's job.