Christmas Print Sale

Giving Thanks

From our house to yours, wishing you a blessed and safe Thanksgiving Day!

I'm truly thankful for all my wonderful blog readers.  

Amelia Earhart Home and Spaghetti All'amatriciana

This week my artwork was featured on "Kate, Love, Home", Kate Wilson's blog.  Please stop by and visit Kate's blog and let her know I sent you. 

This past weekend we celebration our soon to be brother in law, Dave's, birthday and someone in my immediate family forgot to tell me to wear a flannel shirt.

My daughter, Amber, son Eric, and hubby Rick looking like they planned their attire for the day.

A while back I blogged about Eric returning from Spain and how he had cooked a wonderful meal for Rick and I.  A few people asked me for the recipe and Eric was kind enough to write it down for me and I absently forgot to post it. 

Look at the smile on that guy's face on his return home from Spain in the photo below.  I know it's blurry, but I wanted to share it anyway.

"Spaghetti All'amatriciana"

3 chicken breasts

7 oz. bacon (cut into small squares)

2lb. small tomatoes (plum tomatoes are best because they have fewer seeds)

1/2 onion (chopped)

grated pecorino or parmesan

olive oil (4 tbsp)

salt

chili powder

Peel the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Remove seeds with a small knife.

Set aside and cut chicken breasts into 1" pieces.  Cook in 2 tbsp. olive oil over moderate heat until browned.  Set aside, then cook the chopped bacon in 2 tbsp. olive oil until fat has melted.

Remove bacon and cook onion in bacon fat.  Add tomatoes and leave sauce to simmer & thicken (10 minutes).  Add chicken, bacon, chili powder & salt (to taste).

Cook an additional 10 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti.

This is spicy, but very yummy!

A couple weeks ago my friend, Susie, and I went to Atchison, KS.  We visited Nell Hill's and drove around the area looking at old homes.  Amelia Earhart's home is something I've always wanted to paint, so I took several photos to reference. 

To learn more about this famous lady and her life check out the official website.

Love those gothic windows!

Last year when my husband and I visited the area, we couldn't take a picture because a huge tree in the front yard had fallen down in a storm and landed right on top of a car parked out front.  Luckily no one was in the car. 

I hope to paint this in the very near future.  If you have any other ideas of great locations for paintings, please let me know.    I'm always open to ideas!

My Craft Night Project Crochet Cowl

I realize this is not a cowl in the photo below, but guess what?  I finally finished this afghan that I made for our queen size bed.  It took months and months to make this, but I'm so glad that I stuck with it. 

My husband makes the bed each morning (yes I know how lucky I am) and was shocked at the weight of it.  It will feel good this winter though when the temperatures drop to freezing and the wind is howling outside.

I had several balls of these colors left over and decided to make a cowl.  If you've never worn one of these, you need to get you one.  Besides keeping me cozy and warm it hides my lovely aging neck.  Now if I could just find a picture of a hip hairstyle for an aging gray haired lady, I'd really be happy.  No kidding, if you have an image of a hairstyle you think I'd like, send me the image link. 

Does this look like a granny afghan wrapped around my neck?

This cowl is made using several different granny squares and a variety of stitches and crochets up very quickly. 

You can find the instructions here.

Vee, here are the instructions for that crocheted pillow

I'm in desperate need of a haircut, so send me those ideas ladies!

Hooray for Cupcakes Painting

I will be busy for the next few weeks painting another Christmas scene, but I wanted to share this new little cupcake painting that I listed on eBay.

"Hooray for Cupcakes"

Perched high on top of a butter pecan cupcake piped with chocolate frosting sits a wise old owl hoo keeps chanting, "Hooray for cupcakes!"

A brown and aqua dotted ribbon is wrapped around the edges of the canvas and ties in a bow at the top.

I was having difficult time coming up with the saying to go on the cupcake painting and all I could come up with was "Hoo's your Cupcake".  That wasn't my favorite and this painting sat on my table for a few days until I finally came up with the title.  Hope your having a "Hoot" of a day!