(glimpses) – not everyday

No matter how much I think life will just settle down, there always seems to be an unexpected turn of events. We’ve been wrapped up in family matters couple of weeks with a family member hospitalized with a fracture to the hip. Returning back home from our time away to projects that were in midstream and to what will again be a normal, everyday time.

I realize I hadn’t yet had the time to blog about these roadside portraits I had been working on. I’ve always had a love for botanical studies and nature sketches, maybe it shows in my work. These easily overlooked, humble wildflowers and plants some how call out to me to be noticed.

So for now a quick look at the not so everyday. Hope you have a great week!

PS: here just my way little way of saying thank you! …. To take 20% of ALL ORDERS, please use coupon code “summersale” … (ps: this will work in both my websites: https://prettydreamer.com as well as on my etsy site) (PPS: no minimum!)

 

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(glimpses) – clearing skies

just a few pictures for now of these beautiful blue, blue skies!

 

(glimpses)- this story begins underfoot

How it’s rained! It has been all downpours and showers these past days in a grey world turning lush. Except for my impatience to start a garden (our planting zone must mostly wait until the Memorial Day weekend)  and feel warm sunshine, spending time inside nestling with a new project feels very good.

From inside  I  watch the rain turn the grass green again and branches buds begin to open.

I cannot help but think of all the enchanted fairy tales that sprout silently in the forest as once sleeping shoots and roots giving birth to a new story waiting to be written.

My daughter came home with this beautiful linoleum block she made. And while the print remains at school, I am very eager to print it myself  and see this lovely scene.

Impatient once again I think, but I can’t remember seeing a friendlier, happier little bat!

I  am gathering these small begins and drawing the landscape of the story that is soon to come. More soon!

 

(glimpses) – it’s only right to wait

Despite a mild winter and warmer days, spring still seems surprising hesitant. Uncertain whether to move forward or stay still. While unlike the last years, with mountains of snow and ice slowly receding, this spring is quiet, barely changing  brown and tan landscape and spring  appears to have stalled. Is this an internal memory of winters past or some private insight that it’s still too soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Still I can’t help but be impatient. I want to walk barefoot on soft moss. I want to look unbelievingly at green world again. Like me, this  little herd of mine feels pretty much feels the same. They are  eager and without
hesitation to race in new fields abundant with wildflowers.

I’ve put these friendly creatures on sale , even as a cold damp rain lingers over the start of this week. A spring fever that has set in however too early it may be.

 

 

 

 

(in the kitchen) – a little craving

There’s an ongoing list of meals and recipes that stay on the mind and insist on being made. Ones that it’s all too easy to pick-up in a little jar with a nice label when it catches the eye. For me, there’s something really satisfying about knowing how a food comes together and what ingredients went into it.

 

Tapanade is one of these. After the promise to make this months ago  and  finally with an abundant supply of kalamata olive on hand, I was able to get to started on making  my first jar of tapanade.

I did look at a few recipes beforehand, but then opted to improvise with what I had on hand. Here is my short list: about a cup of olives, a couple of garlic cloves, a couple table spoons of capers, a handful of parsley, a few anchovies, a bit of olive oil to smooth the constancy and that’s really it . Everything goes into the food processor and gets pulsed until it reaches a smooth consistency.

Like avocado on toast, tapanade is one of those super easy bites when time is short and there’s a while to go before a sit down meal. Hope you like it if you give it a try.

PS.: I’ve finally gotten a chance to make some updates to my workshop here.  I think I’ve got the majority of consolidation/reorganization in the the studio taken care  of now. I’m excited about the  new projects for this week!