Georgia O'Keeffe Inspired Cow Skull

The cow skull is finished.  The colors in the flowers and the background just don't work for me.  I was painting this to hang in my living room, but I don't think it will end up there.  I'm already working on cow skull #2.  This one will be a little different perspective.  I started working on it this morning, but I only had an hour to paint.  I didn't get very far.  The back ground is done and the skull is blocked in.  Hopefully tonight I will be able to get upstairs alone. 

School starts next week.  I'll be home alone during the day.  This should be prime painting time.  But if this year goes anything like last year it won't work out.  I'll feel uninspired.  Creative energy seems to flow best when there's no feasible way to paint- a six year old needs to be entertained, home improvement projects are going on, meals need to be cooked and the house is a disaster.  My creativity thrives in chaos. 

The plan is to be prepared for the dry up and plan ahead.  After finishing #2 cow skull, I'll be painting my own Warhol inspired Christmas Tree, several nutcrackers, and some close up flowers on large canvases.  Maybe having a plan will encourage me?

Cool Ranch Chicken Casserole

We were 12 when we met.  She walked up to me in the junior high gym and the rest is history.  I am who I am in large part due to her.  I wouldn't be married to my husband if not for her.  And I wouldn't have tired this recipe if not for her.  She really needs a food blog.  Almost everyday she posts her menu on facebook.  Everything always sounds great, and this recipe was no exception.  She's an expert Texas cook.  What is Texas cooking?  Taste comes before nutrition, and Texas cooks are not so snobby that they won't use crushed up Doritos in a recipe.  There's no pretentiousness.  If it tastes good, we eat it.  And as you will notice in the recipe, we're not great with measurement.  If in doubt, taste it and add more if needed.  Who wants to mess with washing measuring spoons? 

1lb package of chicken breasts cooked and shredded
sharp cheddar cheese grated
16 oz container sour cream
1 can cream of what ever you like
1 jar of salsa ( I used salsa verde)
spices to taste (dried onion, dried garlic, salt, pepper, whatever)
Cool Ranch Doritos


Mix chicken, sour cream, cream of ?, spices, and salsa (I used about half of a jar of salsa).  Layer half of the chicken mixture in a 9x12 casserole pan.  Top with cheese.  Top that with a few hand fulls of crushed Doritos.  Repeat layers.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.    The top layer of chips and cheese will be crunchy. 

The Best Cupcake I've Had In a Long Time

One of my son's friends came over to play today.  The thoughtful mom sent cupcakes.  Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing.  They were devine.  She used a chocolate cake mix and this simple peanut butter frosting recipe. 

Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients 
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioners' or icing sugar

Beat butter and peanut butter in an electric mixer. Slowly mix in the sugar, and when it thickens and gets dry, add the milk a little at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.Spread or pipe lavishly over the cupcakes.

Everything I Know About Fashion

I'm no fashion expert, but occasionally someone will ask me to help her shop for clothes.  This always catches me off guard.  I want to say, "You really should ask my sister.   She's the one with great taste and patience for marathon shopping."  But a few weeks ago when a friend asked me to help her pick out some new clothes, it occurred to me that I do have a few fashion rules.  They aren't profound.  They will not transform your life.  But if your idea of fun casual wear is a Tigger hoodie and sweat pants then keep reading. 

Rule #1  No More Than Three Accessories May Be Worn At A Time

Accessories can be any of the following:  jewelry, hair clips, elaborate shoes, glasses that don't blend in, belts, etc.  This is anything flashy that adds interest to an outfit.  More than three and you just look cluttered or cross-dresserish.  Right now I have on my wedding ring, beaded summer sandals, and a necklace.  Adding a bracelet or a belt to my accessory list would put me over the limit. 

Rule #2  If It Feels Like A Costume Don't Leave The House In It- Unless You're Going To A Costume Party

Confidence is beautiful.  Awkwardness is not.  If you like the peasant dress, but every time you put it on you feel like you should be an Italian woman living in the 1800's, then take it off and don't wear it in public!  No matter how cute it is you'll just look uncomfortable. 

I own a beautiful Chinese style top that I bought in China Town in San Fransisco.  I've worn it once to a Chinese dinner party.  I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it to the mall.  It feels like a costume.  So I treat it like a costume.

I do wear cowboy boots in public.  Some people might feel like they were playing dress up in them, but I live in Texas and have one pair exclusively dedicated to horseback riding.  I'm comfortable wearing cowboy boots to church, shopping, a fancy party, any where. 

My point is, what feels like a costume to you may not to your best friend.

Rule #3  Build On A Good Foundation

It is very hard to feel confident in worn out panties!  Throw them away and buy some that make you feel beautiful.  If you haven't been measured for bra size, do it!  Get measured where you plan to shop.  When you find a style, stick with it. 

Saggy, worn out looking breasts look good on no one!

 And a panty line is never sexy!  Ever wondered why there are so many cuts of panties?  You can not buy only one cut and make it work for every outfit. 

Rule #4  Know Your Age

I am 31 years old.  I own jeans with lip shaped back pockets.  Because I am 31 and have a far from perfect body, they fall into the costume category.  They are reserved for the off chance that I get to go out dancing.  That happens about once every 5 years. 

I also put one of my favorite summer dresses in the donation box this year.  I'm too old to wear mini halter dresses.  It's just not pretty. 

On the flip side, I know many people who dress too old.  Getting older isn't about boring grandma clothes.  If you think your clothes are too old, ask your self if your grandma would look good in them.  If the answer is yes then take them to the Goodwill!

Rule #5  Take A Break

Save some of your outdated, or ugly but comfortable clothes for when you want to repaint the house or work in your yard.  Take the pressure off yourself to always look good.  And try to keep it in perspective.  Spending an hour picking out an outfit and applying makeup just to go to Wal Mart doesn't make sense.  But neither does wearing that old Six Flags t-shirt that you got your senior year of high school.  Meet in the middle. 

Rule #6  Realize The Purpose Of Clothes

The purpose of clothes on the most basic level is to cover our naked bodies.  The purpose I'm talking about is a little deeper.  Express your personality.  You can tell a lot about someone by her clothes. 

What works for me is taking a few minutes to pick out a functional outfit, but not trying on 10 things until I feel perfectly put together.  I don't want to invest that much time.  There are other things I'd rather do.  And sometimes when I obsess about how I look I am over confident.  Then I'm dressing to impress someone and that takes energy away from what I want to be accomplishing. 



That's basically it.  I hope it was helpful!

Samples from Vocal Point

I typically gets at least one sample or super duper coupon at least once a week due in large part to being a Vocalpoint member.  I love it!  I recently tried a new trash bag that they sent- Glad OdorShield with Febreeze.  The idea is the bag smells good and masks the yucky trash smell.  We recycle glass, plastic, and compost everything that we can.  We don't have a lot of trash.  I won't be buying these but if you have loads of really stinky trash like dirt diapers- I'd give them try. 

I also tried Downy Unstopables.  You throw them in the washing machine with your normal detergent.  They make your laundry smell better longer.  I would use these on sheets or anything else that gets used a few days before washing again, but for clothes and towels I'd say they're just a waste of money.  My husband noticed the smell on his clothes right away and love it.  The smell is really nice.  But is it worth it?  I'm not sure.  I will use my bottle sparingly and when it's gone I'll decide if I can't live without it. 

New Paintings

I paint upstairs.  My stairs are in the process of being redone.  I haven't been able to use the stairs for a week.  Today I'm back upstairs with a blank canvas on the easel.  I'm ready to paint.  Since the stairs have been non-functioning, I've been adding inspiring art to the art favorites folder on my lap top.  Today I plan to try my own version of one of Georgia O'Keeffe's cow skulls.  I live in Texas and have no cow skull art.  It's shameful. 

Here's what I painted before the stair demolition.

  

The cupcake is  my Wayne Thibaud ode. 

The girl was the subject of a class I was supposed to attend, but didn't go to because of a sick child.  Mine is totally different than the class subject.  I used different metallic paints for her skin.  Very spooky in person.

Landscape is my imaginary Italian villa.

And I don't know what to say about Edna's Summer Shack.  The Pottery Barn Kids catalogue came and I guess I looked at the little girl stuff too long?

I'm off to paint.

A Winning Menu

I rarely try four new recipes at one time, but I did today.  My family came over for lunch to celebrate my mom's birthday.  I always like to try new recipes when I have a group over so that I'm not stuck with something I don't like.  If there's a group, then odds are that someone will like it- or so I tell myself.  I was impressed with these recipes.  In order of impressiveness they are:

Asian BBQ Chicken
Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice
Quick Sunshine Cake
Grilled Corn on the Cob

The Chicken was amazing!  My husband who doesn't like BBQ or meat in general said it was the best chicken he'd ever had.  That says a lot. 

To be honest I didn't eat any corn because I don't like corn.  I did like the link though because it included a video. 

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we did.  Just click on the name of the recipe to go to the website where I found it.