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    T Tuesday: not a food blog edition

    This post may make you think twice if you’ve arrived at the right place. It’s centered around food. Growing, eating, drinking, and baking with a little artsy-crafty splash thrown in just so you remember where you are.

    This is my new favorite breakfast. Blueberry Oatmeal Bake. I found the recipe on Pinterest…where else?!  I modified things slightly to fit the ingredients that I had plus I don’t like using artificial sweeteners.

    Check out this kohlrabi I got in our CSA box! Crazy!! I haven’t cut it open yet…I’m thinking today. I set it next to the loaf of bread we got as well with our farm share this week. I love it when they do community partnerships.

    Between the beans from the CSA and my garden I needed to can some more spicy beans. I mixed up a double batch of the brine since I had so many. Not wanting to pour it down the sink, I grabbed some random veggies to try in a jar with some extra spices since I wasn’t including a jalapeno. Time will tell if we enjoy them or not.

    Speaking of the garden…the high heat and humidity have done a number on the garden. The beans and squash have quit producing and of course you know about my deer chomped tomatoes. I was watching a youtube video about harvesting potatoes and the gardener mentioned doing a second planting of some of the quick turn around crops that stop production in the heat. Hmm…sounds exactly like what’s happening here. He said to look up the first frost date and count backwards from there to see if there is enough time. Our first frost date is Oct. 2nd so I have time!! I’ll let you know next week what I decided upon.

    Since we’re talking about outdoor things…look at these lovely lilies my neighbor so generously lets me pick.  She had some other colors but those must be a little tastier to the deer…they beat me to them. My tiger lilies should be blooming this week…if the deer don’t get them first. Darn deer!!

    With the heat and humidity I’ve been drinking tons of water. That gets boring sometimes so need to mix it up. My new favorite is club soda with a squeeze of lime or lemon. So refreshing.

    All my walking is doing something that I hadn’t really noticed until I put on a shirt I hadn’t worn since my birthday.

    I’ve lost 12 lbs. Both my walking and staying away from things such as those in the birthday basket I received. I want to keep this momentum going. Wish me luck!

    On Saturday our state wide mask order went into effect for all indoor public spaces…its about time if you ask me.

    I started making more masks. J will need a bunch at college. Mini-me will be doing her classes at home for her college courses. We find out later this week what the fate of K-12 school will be.

    Are you still with me…I think we’ve finally arrived at the artsy part.

    I’m not in love with this page as a whole. But I do love some of the little details.

    The textures….

    The colors…

    And the message.

    Today has me replanting in the garden, sewing and stupid household chores.

    What are you doing today?
  • Art - Blog - Creativity - Outdoors

    T Tuesday: watercolor edition

    Over the weekend I decided to play with some watercolors.

    For this first set, I began with stamping with Staz-on ink then came back in with layers of watercolor.

    I really lik how they turned out. I’ll probably make cards out of them.

    For this next set I decided to challenge myself a bit and try painting free hand then adding the black marker after.

    These are really fun as well. I definitely need some practice but I imagine I’ll be at it some more. Its really fun!

    My weekend walk took me along a familar path but this time I was surprised by 2 deer, 3 turkeys and a bunch…a gaggle…not sure what a group of baby turkey’s are called. I tried for a photo but they were into the woods too fast.

    Instead you just get the path and secluded beach across the lake from the large beach. On my way back I crossed paths once again with the same group. It was really odd to me that they were all hanging out together. Perhaps safety in numbers.

     

    It was a hot, sweaty weekend…lots of water needed.

    This week has me working on house stuff. Boring I know. Hopefully I’ll do some fun artsy or crafty projects along the way as well.

    What are you doing today?
  • Around home - Art - Blog - Creativity - Kitchen - Outdoors

    T Tuesday: sky’s the limit edition

    I have to say I’m loving the new theme When it’s hot on Art Journal Journey. Nice choice Erika!

    The base of this loose leaf journal page is an equation sheet for an engineering course J had taken last semester. Actually just one of the crazy long, I don’t really see any numbers just symbols, type of things spanning three sheets. Wowsers. I’ll stick to middle school math, thank you.

    I smeared some bright cheerful summery colors then began adding bits of paper not really knowing where I was heading. Since I had completely covered all the math I decided to add back in a table from a vintage math book so I’d remember where this page had begun.

    After I felt my layers were complete, I looked for the right words. The birds made me think of flying, adventure, getting away from it all. The bicycle washi is another nod to getting out into nature and enjoying the fresh air.

    Gosh, you’d think we were cooped up or quarantined or something. LOL Sometimes you’ve got to laugh or you’ll cry.

    I’m so smitten with this theme that I created two pages in one sitting yesterday…either that or I was avoiding housework. Maybe both.

    Art Journal Journey

    Since I mentioned work…this is work I actually enjoy…gardening. It is a lot of work but I do love getting my hands dirty, having to wipe the sweat from my brow. But the things I love most is harvesting!

    I’ll be canning spicy beans this week! And making cucumber salad…or maybe just peeling and eating.

    I’m really looking forward to when the tomatoes ripen. I’m so sick of grocery store tomatoes.

    These two bok choy plants and the habanero pepper plant I got for FREE when the local parking lot pop-up greenhouse was shutting down for the season. They always have nice plants.

    What are you doing today?