Here are some trades that I have been working on for artfest.  I think I got a little carried away. They were supposed to be simple, quick and really easy, but I loved the process. I just got lost in time and painted tiny little pictures for most of the day. It was really fun. I love getting lost like that.

After I painted them, I decided to get a little daring and added wax. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but the end result turned out great. I love the subdued color and the added texture. I wish you could see them in person.

Now, the question is whether I should glue on magnets for the fridge or pins to wear.  Maybe both? I can’t decide. Help!

It’s been cold, windy and cloudy all day. I am really loving this weather. It’s the best winter this area has seen in a while. Almost feels like a “real” winter. Snow in the mountains and lots of rain on the city. I’ve been getting lots of good use out of my sweaters and jackets, which is unusual,  and we should have a beautifully bright green and flowery desert come spring.

I’ve been stuck in one spot, which is what happens when I have too much to do. I need to prep for Artfest.  I should be making trades, getting my supplies in order, finishing a commissioned piece. Instead, I’ve been knitting  and playing in my art journal, which is exactly what I secretly need right now. Creative relaxation–going with the creative flow. It’s really nice. Maybe it’s a mental prep, instead of me being crazy, stressed, overactive.

I’ve also been doing a little TOO much internet surfing.

*Embrace your inner girl by Eve Ensler on TED. Eve Ensler started V-Day, a movement to end violence against women everywhere. Her story is an amazing one and her poem, “I am an emotional creature” is so powerful.

* Asian Style Emoticons via Futuregirl. Love them!

* Lost Things. A beautiful fairy tale video. Perfect inspiration for a fairytale artfest.

* Ira Glass on story telling. He talks about how it takes time to become the creative person you envision yourself to be. He says, “It’s normal to take a while. You just have to fight your way through that. You will be fierce, you’ll be a warrior, and you will make things that aren’t as good as you know in your heart you want them to be.” This definitely rings true for me.

I swear, this is not turning into a food blog.  I’ve just been in the mood to cook, bake, eat.  I had been wanting to try these tortillas for so long and finally did.  They peaked my interest because they use walnuts and oatmeal as the fat instead of oil, shortening or lard.

Now, I grew up on homemade tortillas, so I have a pretty strong idea of what a good tortilla looks and tastes like.  These ended up being quite good, but nothing like grandma’s.   I did add 1 tsp of baking powder to make them softer, lighter and less dense, which I think helped.

I will make them again because the kids devoured them.  And it warms the house so nicely when I cook on the cast iron griddle. Between these and my grandma’s recipe, I won’t be able to buy any more store brand tortillas again.

I had to share to latest obsession.  I’ve been making these nori hand rolls for lunch, pretty much all week.  They are so yum.

Nori is the perfect vehicle for so many things.  I put avocado, brown rice, carrots, sprouts and cilantro in mine, with a spray of bragg’s.  My friend Alexandra came over the other night for dinner and we had these with corn bread, roasted chickpeas and roasted asparagus.  It was such a great meal with lots of great conversation. I hadn’t seen my friend in over a month and we had lots of catching up to do. It was so great to see her and reconnect.

I’m always looking for semi-healthy snacks for the kids- things that are not processed and full of sugar. We eat loads of fruit, but I like having chewy and crunchy things to munch on too.

I’ve also been experimenting with sugar alternatives like brown rice syrup. I already use maple syrup and agave nectar here and there and try to use them more in my baking.

I’ve had this recipe for “sports bars” from a Bon Appetite magazine circa 2002. The original recipe calls for corn syrup, which I substituted with brown rice syrup and agave. The results were excellent. The kids love them too. Of course, they would prefer if I put chocolate chips in them too.

Here is the recipe:
3 cups puffed whole grain cereal (such as Kashi)
1/2 cup nuts (any kind, I used cashews & sunflower seeds because that’s what I had)
1/2 – 3/4 cup assorted dried fruit (I used chopped apricots & golden raisins)
1/3 cup creamy nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower or cashew – any kind will work)
1/4 cup agave (or honey)
1/4 cup brown rice syrup

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Coat 9-inch square metal baking pan with oil, margarine or butter.  Mix cereal, nuts and dried fruit in medium bowl.  Combine nut butter, agave & brown rice syrup in heavy small saucepan.  Bring to boil, whisking constantly until mixture bubbles vigorously and thickens slightly, about 1 minute.  Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture in bowl; stir to blend.  Transfer mixture to prepared pan; press to compact.  Bake until just golden around edges, about 8-10 minutes.  Cool completely.  Cut into bars.   Store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy!!

I had planned on making my little I-guy some felt food for his birthday, but time got away from me. Fortunately, my lovely sister came to the rescue with some felt food for him from Oceantribes on etsy. Yay! There were more veggies in the mix, but they are missing in action.

I made a burlap bucket (pdf pattern from Maya Made)  for him to keep all his play food in. He uses it to “go shopping” and it fits perfectly under the sink of his play kitchen.

My Mondo Beyondo list (here’s just a few from my big list).
* Write a craft book – get it published.
* Get my art into local shops.
* Someday have my own craft store.
* Teach art/sewing to people of all ages.
* Surround myself with a good tribe of women who appreciate, support and love who I am.
* Get some vegetarian friends (I don’t have any here).
* Get a babysitter so that my husband & I can have some alone time every once in a while.
* Get my home the way I’ve imagine for so long ~ creatively beautiful.
* Host monthly craft nights.
* Do yoga and meditation more regularly.
* Meet many of my long time blogging friends.

I have to admit that this list gave me some major anxiety.  I don’t think I was the only one that felt this way either. I think my problem was feeling like there would be some kind of time-line attached to this big list of dreams.  That I would fail. Not be perfect.  Be laughed at for having such big dreams. So, when the time came to write this list, I couldn’t do it. I sat on the “idea” for many days.  Then finally I gathered some courage, sat with pen and paper in hand and I just let loose for ten whole minutes. And guess what?  It wasn’t as bad or as hard as I thought it would be.  In fact, my dreams flowed without effort…ALL 35 of them!  I was so surprised by many of the things I had written down.

There is so much I want to say about Mondo Beyondo.  I don’t even know where to begin.   I know that of all the e-courses I’ve taken, it by far had the most impact on me.  Five weeks, almost on a daily basis, there it was waiting for me. Mountains of heart, mind and soul boosting support, wisdom, and food for thought.  I started feeling that Andrea’s and Jen’s words and ideas were moving me towards something big when I began to feel uncomfortable and stretched. In a good way though.  Sometimes my heart would pound and tears formed in my eyes. Change is difficult but important for growth. Letting go of certain things and gathering new ways of thinking. That kind of growth, the kind that they are encouraging, supporting and gently guiding you through, it’s big stuff. Life altering stuff, if you choose to follow, learn and grow.

I am often surrounded by people who no longer love what they are doing, have no desire to change and feel stuck.  I’ve known long ago that I don’t want that for myself.  My dreams have always been much bigger than me. In my face, daring me to follow.  Mondo Beyondo taught me that it’s okay to have big dreams. It’s okay to follow. Will you follow?

I’ve been making little art tags for ARTFEST trades. It’s in 28 days!!!  Eeeeeekkks!  I’m so excited and nervous.

I guess everyone brings things to trade, which sounds super fun.  I’ll only be making a handful of these art tags (I’ve made some before) and will be making other, smaller things too.  Haven’t decided yet.  But for now, I’m happy to keep making little elves.

Anyone else going to artfest?

(photo by Cheryl)

I had to share this lovely email and photo from Cheryl, a reader of Country Living magazine.

She wrote:

Dear Country Living,

My Mom lives in an Assisted Living Facility and they have activities and games for the residents.  One game is BINGO and I help call as a volunteer.

I loved your ‘idea notebook: The perfect place to jot down your grocery list’ on page 58 in the March issue.  I took the idea a little further and added scrap paper in the center.  The covers are some of the BINGO sheets that I decoupage to recycled paper bags.  I will give the ‘notebooks’ to those that play BINGO!

Thanks for the wonderful idea!

It is so completely heart-warming that my ideas are inspiring others and getting put to good use. Thank you Cheryl.  You totally made my day!!

oh wait, I just came across this too.  The crafty couple sure are too cute!!

You can’t really tell from the pictures but it rained all day, was gray and cold. But that didn’t damper or darken my little guy’s day.  He has a light of his own that he shines brightly every day. Always happy, chatty, funny, and ready to go anywhere and do anything without complaint.

He woke up early ready for the much expected abundance of love from mommy, daddy and brother.  He is very much loved every day, but today was extra special of course because of the presents, specially requested food and all the cards in the mail from loved ones.

He didn’t ask for much, just a penguin made by me. So, every little gift was a big surprise.  He said, “Everyone must love me A LOT!”  They sure do, little buddy!