Wednesday, January 26, 2011

snow & kale

i think i'm good with the snow now...

well, we've been keeping busy regardless. this post is a sort of modge podge of thangs...

tressa made a beautiful snowy scape for her winter animals to chill out in! she is very proud of it.
 

my 34th birthday was last week. i had a wonderful week full of "me" time! i did wind up registering for an abstract painting class which i really should have done sooner. when i came home i had a permanent smile on my face simply because i was in my element and being creative for me. i'm loving it. i have paint under my nails and everything.


my mom and i met for our annual art day in the city. we checked out the american folk art museum this time. it was great to see the art of the "outsiders" or regular joes. the quilts were spectacular as were the works of henry darger.


as usual i make my own pit stop at the rockefeller center anthropologie. my guilty pleasure. i discovered an amazing artist, rebecca rebouche, there at their current art exhibit entitled "beyond the quarter" which features select louisiana artists.
Rebecca Rebouche - Front Porch Storm

for some years now, i've been following this blog and have read all of her books. kris carr is an amazing woman, best selling author, motivational speaker, wellness coach and "crazy, sexy cancer" survivor. last week she launched a new book, "crazy, sexy diet," outlining her diet, a body alkalizing diet. mine is on back order - amazon sold out the second day! anyway, for those of you who believe you are what you eat or you believe in prevention or you simply just want to feel good, you should check out this book.

kris carr was the reason i bought my juicer a few years back. juicing is easy but takes some prep and clean up - as well as some quality produce. usually, i bring it out with my spring clothes and then put it away for the winter due to lack of good produce but i have decided to work harder at finding some organic produce around and therefore have dusted the juicer off and plopped it on my tiny counter space again. one glass of fresh juice (especially this green juice recipe) and i'll be hooked again. but really, if you want to feel great - juice, juice, juice and eat mostly veggies.

one of the veggies getting a lot of buzz these days is kale. that hardy leafy green usually used as decoration. it is haled as a super food packed with all the good-for-yous. i'll be honest, it's not my favorite. i don't mind it in juice but sauteed or as a salad, it's just too dense or something. i found this kale chip recipe that is so easy and i loved them! it's simple: chop up a bunch of kale and remove the bottom stem, toss with a little olive oil and sea salt (not too much) then bake at 375 for about 10 minutes or until crispy. much better, so yummy. the kids will like them, too. do not over cook though or you will lose the benefits of the all haled kale.

i realize that i forgot to post a pic of how the "cousins" project turned out. they came out so cute and were a big hit!

until next time!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

twenty 11

"Nature/Nurture" by Jennifer Davis


i'm liking the sound of "two thousand eleven" or "twenty eleven." for some reason it's bold and daring. i again came across this quote that i have jotted down near my desk. like novels or even songs, quotes seem to generate new meaning at different times of my life. 


twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do. so throw off the bowlines. sail away from the safe harbor. catch the trade winds in your sails. explore. dream. discover. 
–mark twain

for myself and i'm sure as for many, january is a time of reflection and looking inward. now that the holiday distractions have died down and the daylight is sparse, it's really hard to avoid your inner voice. it's like cleaning up shop - my mental shop. what can i let go of in 2011? and what can i make room for? what is missing and what is holding me down? 


being a creative person is a blessing, and i must say, a curse. my mind is constantly in motion with ideas and projects. i love the high that i get from being inspired - by artwork, music, my children... everyday, i am creating, but mostly in my head. and although these dreams of color and paint and canvas get me through my day, i seem to still, nine years later, get disappointed at the end of the day when i am just bone-tired and squeezed of any creative energy i may have had that day. i know i am not alone. i have creative friends who often feel the same way. for some, being creative (painting, drawing, sculpting, whatever) is an outlet of emotion and something of their past. it was a stress reliever. just like exercise. and when there is no time for this release, well, i just don't feel like myself. so, i think it's been apparent for a long while that what i am missing is some "creative mama time." and although i feel guilty (oh, why is it that, as moms, we feel guilty for nurturing ourselves!!!!???) or selfish, for now, in 2011, i need to do this. 


ah, the law of attraction. i haven't even been actively doing anything to set my resolution in gear yet things are just falling into place. :) i am going to take a painting course once a week just to get some hands on time and be with some other creative people. i can't wait. also, and this is something that i have been wanting to do for such a long time, a few of us moms are going to get together with our kids weekly and have creative playdates where each time we meet the kids will do a different project and learn some fun techniques. and lastly, i am treating myself to a yummy new moleskin sketchbook that i will try to sketch in at least once a week. well, i know i am probably boring you but this is fun in my thirties baby! happy and true. no but seriously, back to the 'bold and daring' of 2011.....maybe all of this back to painting and using my hands again will come of something....i don't know. maybe i will throw out my mac! (not likely). cheers!