Little Bit of Art

Haven't created much art on paper yet but have had many creative days through totally redecorating VolleyGirl's room and baking two pretty large birthday cakes for nephews. I will post them soon. I have commited to a festival so have to kick it in gear.....thankfully, I work better under pressure. Hoping to get around to everyone soon!

Batter Up!

Pretty much spent the past four days preparing two cakes for this past Saturday. The first, a pirate cake for my nephew's 3rd birthday party. Finished it Friday night, party was at 4 p.m. the next day on the mountain. Above is a side view. The "beach" is light brown sugar.

The black "thingies" in the "water" are shark fins out of a semi-sweet chocolate bar. The ship top black section and sails were found at Hobby Lobby for $2 and the pirates came from a cake decorating store. The bottom of the ship was baked in a loaf pan and iced in chocolate buttercream icing, first time I made it. Was so freakin' simple, what we have missed over the past many years!!! The cake is chocolate with buttercream icing.

The next cake was finished Saturday around noon. It was to be for a casual engagement party Saturday night for one of my niece's second marriage. It was a 10' and 6' double layer each of white cake with buttercream frosting which is more of an ivory since I use butter in the icing. The initials are in tiffany blue. The couple were having an engagement party then getting married on a cruise......surprise......they actually got married at the party, to everyone's surprise except for a few. My dear eldest niece gave me the scoop just the day before since I would be party hopping Saturday....so I did get there in time! I went to the "engagement" party alone since VolleyGirl had a team sleepover to attend and Mr. U had sports events he wanted to attend. Upon seeing all the cars at the party upon rounding the curve.....I said aloud, "I didn't make enough cake!" She told me to make enough for 50.....it didn't matter, but all was eaten. This has been all the art I have summoned in weeks, though my thoughts are that more will be done this week. Not the edible kind. Okay, I take that back. BigBoy's birthday is next Thursday but he has requested lemon bars. Pfffft, must have at least a little birthday cake........

Hopefully I can get around to leaving comments.....been slammed hard (pun intended) with the start of volleyball. First weekend tournament was 3 hours out of town and had to spend the night followed by a 2 1/2 hour trip for a game the following Monday. Games are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday this week capped off with a tournament on Saturday. I'm in charge of the food table so I get to carry alot of things and food to set up....but it is fun, just tiring. I do hope to work on my time management to get back to regular visits.

Too Cute Not To Share but then I Bore It Up Some...

Yes.....many already have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads and perhaps making the grocery list for the Thanksgiving meal but I never got around to sharing these photos of my great nephews, Finn and Eli. Finn, the robot, will be 5 on Dec. 23rd, my mom's birthday, Eli was 3 in early July, he is Samurai Jack (recall, I helped my niece make a SJ birthday cake. They live very close to us but sadly with both our schedules, I do not see them that often. It is a tradition that they are the first trick-or-treaters at our door on Halloween. My niece really enjoyed the fact that Finn was unable to run in the robot outfit......so as not to get waaay ahead of them.

See the little "ponytail" on Eli?

Okay, we all had been in the front yard awhile and they were ready to move on! Those boys have endless energy but they are adorable, at least to me.

Here is the full sheet cake that I made for the volleyball banquet. Not one of my better works but it was done and tasted good!

Spent a full day helping my friend choose curtains, meeting with the seamstress and going to a nearby town to look for fabric.......it was fun, but knee/back tiring.

I have been getting updates from my friend, she may get more definitive answers on Monday.....what I have learned so far doesn't sound very good to me.

Going to have an article in the paper on my show this week....have to meet photographer at the coffeeshop for a photo...grrrrrr.....hate being on the opposite side of the lens!

I am itching, itching, itching to do some art, perhaps tonight!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and support, you don't know just how much it means to me. I will have some Royal Canine Duties this week, hopefully finding out my start date for my job, doing some drawing, pen and ink too! Try to catch up with comments soon!!!

'Prickly' Week

Snapped this cactus a couple of weeks ago with all you Monday cactus sketchers and Teri in mind.
My week is especially prickly with volleyball games today (45 mins away), Tuesday, Thursday (45 mins) and tournament Saturday, (30 mins away) food required at tournament. BigBoy comes home for the long weekend and to celebrate his 21st birthday. VolleyGirl has the bone scan on her foot this Friday, which will take up a huge portion of the day. Sunday is my mother's side of the family, yearly family reunion - food required (45 mins away). Later that afternoon, we are planning a party at the pool for our 'boy', food required. Finally...I am attempting my most ambitious cake ever for BigBoy. I will share my progress provided my head doesn't blowup first!!!!!! The birthday gifts have already been purchased and all I must do is wrap. I have my master grocery list, to do list and have researched my cake. I am also CAUGHT UP with my laundry!!!! Like my dear Soulbrush, I am 'on fire'.........sadly it is not with my art! Fingers crossed, c'mon back, don't fail me now......

My Little Cake

This is the cake I made last night and today for my husband's parents' anniversary. It was a deep chocolate on the inside with buttercream frosting. It's little - the layers are 8", 6'' and 31/2". I have to admit it was cute. Have a greaaaaaat Sunday! :)

A Day (or two) In the Life Of...boring but serves as cheap counseling for myself

Thursday was washing some, painting some then picking up VolleyGirl from school. 45 minute ride to the high school I graduated from for VG's team to play two matches. I ventured around the school a bit since I had not been in the building since. Lots of changes, additions, doesn't look the same, of course. Sitting on the bleachers is already killing me. Did you hear that? My spine is screaming. Home close to 9 p.m.
Today VG did not have school....yippee! Her foot has been hurting. Miraculously when I called the orthopaedic office we could come in at 10. Waiting, waiting, finally left after noon, or later. Eek, what I thought, maybe a strained tendon, having a bone scan to rule out a stress fracture. Keeping fingers crossed it will not be. Lunch plans for over a week with our friends, was fun. To Michael's to buy a 6 inch cake pan to use in the baking of a cake for Mr. Unplugged's parents anniversary. Home, clothes out of dryer, more in dryer, more in washer. Off to grocery store for a bit. Drop off prescription for VG's anti-inflamatory. Back home. Cook some for supper, bake cake, mix icing, crumb coat cake, mix more icing, clean up. Standing for over 3 hours........finish icing and decorating in the morning......photo to come after it is finished. Will take to my sister-in-law's house tomorrow. She is having her 2 year old's birthday party tomorrow afternoon and it falls on her parents' anniversary. It is a mini three-tiered cake. Never done it, we'll see how it turns out. Oh, did you hear that? It's two part harmony of the spine AND knees screaming. Wash is STILL not complete, yea, more tomorrow. Would it be possible to finish some paintings and do some ATCs??? Committed myself (no, not in that way, though probably needed) to begin singing with a ladies group at church, practice at 5 on Sunday's. They asked a long time ago....need a dependable soprano. I need it more than they do......

Celebrations Continue

Yesterday was another festive day, Eli's 3rd birthday! This made three days in a row of celebration! The birthday tyke is in the middle, with his brother, Finn, on the left, and their sweet mom.

Blow that last candle out Eli!!!!

Isn't this the cutest 'sushi' that my niece made for the party! The green 'wasabi' is icing I tinted with her direction.

My niece baked the cake and I offered to make the icings and went over yesterday morning to decorate it. The theme was 'Samuri Jack', the flames up the side of the character on the raised portion are made from fruit roll-ups. The part was molded of rice krispie treats, iced, then decorated. It took a bit longer than anticipated but was great fun spending time with my eldest niece and seeing 3 year old Eli and 4 and a half year old Finn see the cake. We all attended the party later in the afternoon.

It's been another barn raisin' busy week again, aren't they all? Mr. Unplugged wanted to go out of town together for a night, so we went to the casinos a few hours away. It's not my favorite thing to do but we had a really great time. However, I knew that mounds of lovely laundry would be awaiting and since we all went to the pool, cooked out and I made ice cream last night, then we took in the fireworks....well, not a whole lot was done yesterday or today around here so.........I will be bleeding lint the next couple of days. VolleyGirl started a two week driver's education class this morning so I am extremely excited about getting up to get her off before 8:00 for that then straight to volleyball practice this week. That also means the 'cleaning elves' will be responsible for her room that is almost finished....oh, and she has two birthday events to attend this week also and a photo for the team program.

FINALLY finished the volleyball ads last week...$600 dollars worth.....good riddance to that task for another 11 months. Next tasks....back to 'maytagaramas' AND the next art festival is this Saturday............do I dare try to do some small paintings and large zentangles PLUS build a display for it? Hmmmm, not sure, having intense knee and back pain presently, but I really want to. There is good health news, finally had that freakin' abdominal ultrasound last week and I HAVE ALL THE RIGHT PARTS AND THEY LOOK NORMAL...they didn't even comment that I had a fatty liver! Though....I have to dig deeper with a specialist to find out about the elevated liver enzymes.

"She Is 16, Going On 17....."

Monday was VolleyGirl's 16th birthday. Below is the pink and lavender cake.

So.....let's skip down memory lane a bit...and hope VG does NOT see this for fear she may curl up into a tiny ball with embarrassment. She would not be happy with me....but I am fearless so....

She is only months old in the above photo and her hair does not appear as curly and blonde as it really was. Pink cheeks, red lips (sh, a bit chubby), she looked just like a cherub.

Crawling with pigtails at 9 months old.

She was a bit over a year old here.

Easter Day and we visited the grandparent's lakehouse for egg hunting when she was 22 months.

Ahhhh, one of my favorites - the 2 year old 'pouting angel' at Halloween. Pouting because I wouldn't allow her to open a big decorated cookie at Grandmother's house just before we were to leave.

Christmas time and she's 3 1/2 years old. That's our first pet, Teri. By two years old she already had more hair than I ever managed in a lifetime. I do live vicariously through her hair!

This one didn't come out very clear but it is another favorite photo. First grade school picture.

This one will get me in deep ____! I believe it is 5th or 6th grade.

8th grade volleyball photo and she has bangs for the first time.

She's 15.....eeeeeeeeek, driver's permit!

.......sixteen, will be a junior in high school.....proud of the young lady she has turned into....still innocent, thoughtful, funny, spiritual, smart (when she wants to be) and real stubborn .....thank goodness we can talk about almost everything........

One Can Be Great!

One lonely tulip, above. One lonely blooming azalea, below.

One hopes that tonight I can work on my art.....though my entire being is in service to the canine master until late tomorrow. Last night I was perusing my recipes to decide what desserts I would be preparing for Easter. The meal is at the in-laws and desserts are my assignment. Not just one dessert, perhaps three. The sure one that I have decided upon is my coconut cream pie. That recipe was discovered about seven years ago and has always been hugely popular. One MUST have a chocolate selection or the world would surely hiccup on its axis! I believe the chosen one shall be a Decadent Chocolate Layer Cake - chocolate layer cake with a hint of almond liqueur with a luscious layer of almond-flavored cheesecake in between the two layers of cake and frosted with chocolate-almond frosting. This will be a new one, I always do a new recipe of some type and almost chose this for Christmas. Uh, er, may not be prudent to try a new recipe the night before the event.....but I'm a risk taker....livin' on the edge - yeah! The last choice is still up in the air....a cobbler, a pound cake with fruit, cookies.......not sure about that one..........yet! Stay tuned!

A Little Sketch....

I did this little sketch in ink last night and also another zentangle. Started out just stacking shapes and just evolved. I have offered to make my best friend's daughter's first communion cake and sounds like it may have to have a second tier to be enough. Learning to make my own fondant, hopefully I can do that by then. I did make a three tier cake for my nieces wedding and put real white roses on it.....my biggest...and most nervewracking ever!