Tuesday, February 11, 2014

A Valentine Tea and More

   What do YOU do when your snowed in so much?  Certainly I get more art done, but besides that I cook and bake.  In the last week I made two loaves of pumpkin bread, two apple pies and a spinach pie-most of which is already gone thanks to hubby and son :). I'll usually have a piece to taste and then I don't touch it-mostly because I'm not  into desserts and sweets. Hubby and son are thin and in good shape so they don't need to worry and are most happy to eat up whatever I make!

  For T Stands For Tuesday with Elizabeth and Bleubeard I made a little Valentine's Day inspired tea tray:


                  Nothing says love like heart shaped goodies, doily, the color red and Paris!
That's the pumpkin bread I had with vanilla chai tea on my favorite little tray with one of my favorite mugs along with a vintage glass dish and napkin.

 Here are the pies I baked:

 The apple pies are my great grandmother's recipe and the spinach pie is something my son could devour in one sitting. It's an absolute favorite dish of his. I don't make it very often as it is time consuming though not difficult to make. I surprised him with it on Sunday when he came for dinner. (Racking points for when I need computer help again :)

 Last week I shared a pic of our dog Annie after I groomed her. I just had to capture another pic. Here she is sitting on  a heating vent to warm up when the heat kicks on:

                   I know, pitiful, huh? Is that a "BooBoo" face or what (hence her nickname)? She knew she wasn't supposed to be on it blocking the heat!

  This is some drawing I did for Lesson 3 in the "Draw Your Awesome Life " class. Unlike the "Draw Your Awesome Year" class these lessons are done in a small watercolor journal and honestly I really like the smaller format. This lesson was about creative contour lines, drawing what you see withoutt looking at your paper or lifting your pen. Yikes!

  I first tried drawing my left hand on a piece of tablet paper. I did add some knuckle marks after looking. Then I gave it a go in the journal:

  You can tell by the really wonky middle finger that I accidentally lifted the pen and placed it down where I thought it should be without looking.

 The second page of choosing a nearby object to draw was a bit easier. The lesson was more about getting down the basic shapes of things. I chose a bottle of lavender lotion.


  So that's what I've been up to . I'm also linking this post to Inspiration Avenue for this week's theme of  "Show and Tell" . See you on Friday- Valentine's Day- for a post full of heARTful inspiration!


 "Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future."  Thich Nhat Hanh


24 comments:

  1. fabulous art journal entries and a wonderful post Linda! great!
    poor Annie ...youare a pet tormentor(lol) .. such a short haircut in winter!!!

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  2. First, I love your Valentine inspired tea tray. I adore the mug, I applaud the vignette, and I am now hungry as a result. Speaking of hungry, I ALSO could eat that spinach pie in one setting. It looks so good, although probably not the healthiest, even though there are some great ingredients in it, I'm sure.

    Bleubeard and BooBoo do the same thing. To make matters worse, Bleubeard lays on top of (and covers) the grate that is closest to the thermostat. No wonder my heat runs all the time these days. I hope the weather improves for you soon, because after 10 days of sub-freezing weather, our temps are supposed to warm over the weekend.

    Thanks for sharing T today and showing us your lovely tea tray.

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  3. Fantastic journal pages.
    The pies I could smell all the way over here, they look divine.
    Happy T-day
    Love the BooBoo face, poor baby.

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  4. your treats look wonderful! now i'm hungry :)

    annie has found the perfect spot.

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  5. Wonderful baking and I can just imagine the delicious aromas coming from your kitchen Linda!
    I would love a recipe for Pumpkin bread from scratch to try. A friend sent me one but it had a bought packet base that's not available here.
    Great life drawings!
    Shane

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  6. Hello and Happy T Day! How pretty your little Valentine tray is, love all the goodies on it. Wish I had some baked goods now after seeing yours. The spinach pie would be my favorite but the bread a close second. I'm not into sweets too much either, only a couple bites and I'm done.
    I'm glad you shared your journal, I've wanted to take that class, looks so fun! I love your hand drawing, both are very good I think.
    Thanks so much for sharing your pretties and art today, enjoyed it all!

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  7. Forgot to mention, your dog is so cute, love this picture!! My dog just cuddles up next to us and right now is laying in the sunlight coming thru the window. This winter has been crazy, hoping spring will come soon.

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  8. Our cat does the same thing with the vent...heck so does my daughter...her favorite spot is on the floor in front of the kitchen sink. I tend to do a lot of baking when the weather is bad as well. The oven helps heat the house and you get some comfort food out of the deal :)

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  9. Delicious heart, yes, I want to eat me! Beautiful diary entry of art!

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  10. Ambitious ~ Wow! Great sketches, journals and adorable doggie and all those baked goodies ~ thanks for coming by ~ xxx
    carol and artmusedog
    www.acreativeharbor.com

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  11. Yummy photos all...especially like your contour drawing! that is not the easiest thing to do...happy T day!

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  12. Ah, what we won't do for that free tech support--LOL! ;)
    This is great for those not-looking drawings! I hated those in art class and mine did not even end up recognizable.
    Boo-boo does look a bit guilty. ;) Happy T-Day!

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  13. Just tried leaving a comment on your Ice post and it disappeared...
    Annie must feel a bit naked after that haircut and she is a smart cookie warming herself over the heat vent ;)
    Love your January calendar page with your original and colorful format dear Linda.
    You are exploring some great things in your latest class with everything looking very nice.
    Your tea tray with treats and Paris are certainly perfect and oh so tempting!
    Baking is a nice way to warm up the house and the tummy :)

    Stay warm...
    are you ready for more snow?
    oxo

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  14. My goodness, how wonderful this all is!! I love your Valentine Tea Tray! I'm a big fan of hearts, red, pink, ....the whole day! Pretty. I really like your hand drawing art journaling. Awesome!

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  15. Being snowed in makes me want to cook and/or bake, too. Trouble is, I also enjoy eating what I make. Good thing we have a treadmill in the basement!

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  16. Lovely Valentine tea tray! Your pies look great, and your newest drawing exercise is wonderful. I am so glad you are having such a great time : )
    Hugs,
    Terri

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  17. I meant to mention that Annie looks very cute sitting there! lol! My girls Emma and Betsy often hog the air vent! : )
    Hugs,
    Terri

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  18. beautiful drawings and sketches. I love your dog. she is so cute

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  19. Your tea mug is gorgeous. All those pies look yummy.
    Your hand sketch has come out so well. I especially love the one on watercolor page.
    Have a great week.
    Susan

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  20. What a pretty tea tray for Valentines Day. Your baking projects look delicious. I'll bet I'd like your spinach pie too.

    Interesting sketching experiment and you did it quite well. Always a good thing to challenge yourself with some new effort like that.

    Darla

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  21. Your Valentine spread, with the heart-shaped pumpkin bread, is delightful! Happy T Day, a day late! :)

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  22. Lovely Valentine's tea. Your drawings are awesome...keep it up.

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  23. Your dog is so sensible! Does he like going out for a walk?

    Your tray looks deliciously appealing as do your pies.

    You are doing so well with your classes Linda.

    Karen x

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  24. I can smell the baked goods from here...a perfect indoor activity. And even lovelier that it is heart shaped. I find hands challenging. Last week I sculpted hands from wire. I will post it soon. Keep warm. xo

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Thank you so much for your comments; it's a pleasure to connect with you!