I have a project...I am happy!

I found this small chest of drawers at Goodwill in Georgia and have brought it home.

I didn't get a photo of it with the drawers....but after chalk painting and finding pretty knobs...different ones for each drawer...it has a new life!

I am also painting to be ready for another outdoor art event, Art in the Park!

September 17th at Dave Peel Park in Bentonville. 8:00-3:00.

Also working on 5x5 small paintings for Art Center of the Ozarks.

 

 

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One thing I found this summer that I love is coconut shrimp from Mojito's Grill!

 

It is the dipping sauce which is amazing! Coconut milk, coconut, mango and cilantro!

I make this at home too, sometimes. I bake the coconut shrimp on a rack in the oven! [ My last blog post showed my "girls" enjoying the shrimp from the oven!]

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This past Saturday I went to a quilt workshop. It was about diagonal design in quilts. I started a fun scrappy, strip pieced quilt.

My friend, Paula Mariedaughter was our teacher. Her quilts are exquisite, and she is a good and patient teacher!

Lori had this beautiful antique machine which I enjoyed seeing! A New Home. The company is now called Janome!

This was a wall hanging one student was working on! Bright batiks!

Another friend worked on this split 9 patch block. Fun, lots of small pieces!

I chose something fast and scrappy....it will take about 5 or 6 of these chains, sewn together with contrasting strips,to make a quilt top....

 

Since Paula's birthday was the following day, I made some carrot cake cupcakes! Carrot cake is Paula's favorite! The recipe was published just this week by Susan Branch on her FB page...

http://www.susanbranch.com/carrot-cupcakes/ ( this may not be a live link...but the recipe is below)

Here are a couple of the ones I baked....

Here is one of Susan's beautiful handwritten recipes...for Carrot layer cake...which is exactly the one I made but baked in cupcakes! [ and I added chopped crystallized candied ginger! To her recipe]

 

The latest current project is rearranging and decluttering my sewing space...doing this is like doing an archilogical dig...through 2-3 generations of my family who sewed and saved scraps!!!

The view from the basement stairs, at the moment....my sewing and painting....the big bookcase is headed out to the yard sale!

That's enough for tonight...

 

Midsummer memories

Not the happiest summer of my life. A difficult divorce in my daughter's family and the closing of the fabric store where I had a part-time job for many years.

Here are photos, in no special order...

 

Garden flowers from the front yard.

We pose by that front garden...floaty cotton dress is cool on super hot days.

A garden party art show and sale...so much fun, mot much $$$$!

 

 

Trying to paint my daughter and granddaughter together...

Hydrangeas are fabulous this year...I try watercolor...

 

Neighbors and Steve out by the hydrangea garden...

My favorite photo of Steve this year...

The store is closing notice...it is really happening! Shoppers are loading up!

 

The last day at Hancocks, Fayetteville, AR.

 

 

Horses at my brother's....

The view from my daughter's deck.

My granddaughter, almost 17.

 

Her birthday...beautiful cake! Coconut!

Making coconut shrimp for my girls...

 

Smudging cweremony with the sage smudge sticks which I made using that Oregon trail sage!

 

Another view of the lake.

The family room after "staging"!

A wonderful moment, holding my new great niece!

He uncle Dan holding her..

 

Fresh peaches!

Grandkids....the younger ones...

They are back in school already!

Some days it has been cool enough to paint out in my backporch/studio!

 

And finally, Laura and the twins!

 

Life is good, even with challenges!