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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Trying to Catch Up Tuesday

I went Christmas shopping with a friend yesterday and have finished up my shopping. Now all I have to do is wrap them. I even bought myself something - a pair of fingerless gloves/arm warmers. They are wonderful!

I got home just in time to make dinner. I had picked up some stir fry beef on the way home. I sauteed some red onion and fresh mushrooms in olive oil and then added the beef. After it had browned a bit, I added just a little teriyaki sauce and let it cook. Meanwhile I prepared a package of roasted pine nut couscous in a separate pan and scrambled two eggs.

I made a side salad with romaine, cherry tomatoes, fresh mushrooms and dried cherries. Just as the hubster got home I added the meat mixture and the eggs to the couscous and served it. It was delicious, but doesn't have a name because I just made it up as I went along. I think I will name it stir fried couscous.

These days it gets dark about 5:30 and it makes me feel like the day is over and I may as well not start any projects, but I forced myself to open Art Rage and try to do a watercolor. Here is the result:

I think it is alright (maybe a bit too green), but the house needs work.


I must tell you I am having a ton of fun with this program.

I have been waiting to start on the "Good Luck" book until my Folio paper arrives from Dick Blick. This is the paper that was highlighted on Roz Stendahl's blog. It is one of her favorites. I am folding some small pages this morning to try another 3 1/2" x 4 3/8" book, but am dithering over what kind of binding to use. I have 10 signatures with 5 folios in each for a total of 200 usable pages. Right now they are being held by a clip to flatten them a bit. I am determined to make up my mind this morning and get it finished before the get together this afternoon.

Both of the kids and their 3 girls will be over this afternoon for the traditional decorating. The three little girls will help to hang the dated ornaments along the bottom of the shelves on the dining room wall. We have a dated ornament for each year of our marriage - 32 of them. The girls will also help decorate the tree. So far only the strings of lights are on it.

Poppa is also planning to make sugar cookies that the girls can decorate. I cheated this year and bought one of the refrigerator rolls of dough ready to slice and put in the oven. I also purchased a can of white frosting. I have food coloring to make a variety of colors. 

I'm ready for my second mug of coffee and must get on the treadmill. I'd better get it in gear.
xoxo


4 comments:

  1. Christmas shopping done? I'm so jealous!! And, what is Art Rage? I'm so far behind in online things that I've become clueless! Have fun with the little ones. hugs, nancy

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  2. I don't know what Art Rage is either, do tell!
    I like this painting - it looks almost as though you used oil paint, and that the actual size is several feet in each direction.

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  3. I down loaded a free version of Art Rage about a year ago and have had great fun. I really had a great time with the pastel tools and I also did an oil of an old light house. It's fun to load a photo onto the canvas and manipulate it> Don't use your originals. You can also load a photo under the canvas and control the transparency and make a new composition on top> the photo underneath is a guide. If you are used to photo editing software like gimp or dog waffle you will have no problems. If you pay for the full version, there are even more tools but it's pretty functional without them.

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  4. Nice sketch. I like the fuzziness of it. Gives it a very whimsical feel. I admire the way you cook by the seat of your pants. :) I must have a recipe because I can't cook.

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