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  • Eggnog Cookies!

    December
    14
    2004

    (repeat post November 15, 2005)

    If you like eggnog, and you’ve never had these cookies, make them. You’ll thank me for it. Please don’t spike the batter. I cannot be held responsible for irresponsible behavior. LOL 😉

    1 c. butter softened to room temp.
    1 c. sugar
    1/2 tsp. nutmeg/cinnamon or 1/4 tsp each
    1 c. eggnog!
    1 tsp. baking soda
    4 c. flour

    Beat butter & sugar until it’s creamy. Add spices, nutmeg Eggnog & baking soda to butter & sugar, blend well. Add flour 2 cups at a time, mix (with mixer) until combined. Spoon onto nonstick cookie sheet, dip a cup in sugar (holiday colored sugar, sugar/cinnamon, sugar/nutmeg, your call), smoosh the dough a little – don’t flatten them. Bake at 375 for right around 11 minutes, when you can see the bottom edges are golden brown.

    Pour a glass of brandy. Chase warm cookies with brandy. MmmMMmMMmmmGood! (I didn’t try that part, I am just imagining. heh!)

    Sheba WIP#1 – The sketch

    December
    13
    2004

    This is my next dog portrait sketch of Sheba! I will start painting her tomorrow, and I’ll update when I turn the cam on.

    I’m not sure exactly what time I’ll start yet, I have a a couple of things to get ready for my sister to come in town and help me with a few things for a couple of days. God bless that girl, she has been most helpful! Lucky me, I get to figure out how to play Santa by myself this year, and try to keep an 8 year old a believer to boot. Sis is going to distract her while I put my elf slippers on and sneak out the back door. 🙂

    Scans: The Boy & Grandma

    December
    13
    2004

    Here are the final scans of “The Boy” (Cole) and my Grandma. I am planning on creating a monochromatic gallery with the new layout, and will be painting more of these in this loose and “less photorealistic” style. I have a few more pieces in mind already, and will pursue those after the holidays and template changeover.

    Piano Tuning

    December
    13
    2004

    About 5 years ago, I worked with a gal who was getting ready to move. Her husband had told her that he was planning on dragging the piano out the back door, break it up and turn it into firewood. Can you imagine? I told her I couldn’t let that happen, and hired a moving company to go get it and bring it to me.

    Now every family event I have at my house brings my mom (hi mom!) who plays rather well. It’s really cool to have mom over and sit in the family room and listen to her play. We had both pianos and an organ when I was growing up, so I fiddle with the ivories from time to time. 😉

    Now my little 8 year old is playing it by ear. She’s got the genes! I was talking with Aunt T lastnight about getting Miss Caitlin piano lessons for Christmas. This morning I contacted a tuner, who will be out next Monday to tune it and fix a couple of sticky keys, and he will bring a list of piano teachers that will come here to give her lessons.

    Neat gift for an 8 year old, eh? She’ll be outplaying me in no time!

    I am dead tired today. I am going to prep my next commission at some point today, and taking a nap is also on my list of things to do! ::YAWN::

    My Grandma :)

    December
    12
    2004

    Well here’s what I painted this afternoon. This is my Grandma, you might remember her from a couple of days ago. This is my Mom’s Christmas Present. Yea, I’m a spoiler, but I think she enjoyed watching me paint her mama.

    Merry Christmas Mom. I love you!!

    Once upon a time…

    December
    12
    2004

    …at 5:30 in the morning, the Princess was awakened by a small furry white creature. This beast obviously has no sense of timing, or perhaps just a very poor sense of timing, to dare squeak ever so softly but at such a high pitch at this time of day.

    The Princess began to stir, and refused to accept that this white fuzzball was going to dominate the day. At the prompting of a gentle yet forceful reminder of the “jingle bell” collar, she realized that if she did not obey, the castle’s new floors would be destroyed. “Yes, ma’am,” she murmured. The Princess threw the covers back into a careless heap, sleepily made her way to the entrance and began to unbolt the castle doors.

    The creature must have wanted to punish the Princess for her lack of expediency, as a gust of freezing air swept into her face and jolted her completely awake as she opened the doors. With what appeared to be a half grin on its face, this little white beast haughtily pranced out the door.

    More alert now, the Princess made her way into the dining hall to search for a maid that could pour a warm morning brew for her and perhaps help her return to her slumber. Upon arrival into the main hall, she soon realized that the maid was off for the weekend and she was left to her own defenses. She stumbled over a plastic gadget that the Castle Munchkins had planted on the floor beside the brewmaster, nearly causing her to sail into the cabinets. When she regained her balance, she began the painful process of MMR, morning memory recovery.

    The Castle Munchkins are still asleep. The brew requires a special combination of ingredients, could she remember so early in the day? Or should she begin to rummage through the maid’s things to try to find instructions?

    Just then, the beast began to pelt the door with giant boulders, creating a wretched pounding noise loud enough to wake the neighboring Castles. The Princess was terrified! Would she ever be able to appease the beast enough that she would not be continually tortured? She hurried to the doors to beg forgiveness for her ignorance, jolted further awake by another slap in the face by the brisk breeze as she fell to one knee in front of the beast.

    This brazen little fuzzball completely ignored her attempt at friendship and forgiveness, flitting quickly past her back into the Castle.

    The Princess closed the doors, mumbled something to herself about the time of day, and returned to the dining hall for her morning brew. The creature, seemingly very pleased with its morning torture routine, found a quiet place to began plotting its next session.

    The boy!

    December
    11
    2004

    Everybody, meet my Godson Cole. Cole, meet everybody! He’s really not blue in real life. hehe! I painted him monochromatic (teal) in his mom’s favorite color. 🙂

    Merry Christmas to my bestest bud ever, Paige!!!
    xoxoxoxxoxo

    Lineage

    December
    10
    2004

    I met a blogger, Cao, who is very cool and politically inclined. I figured I could have my political blog vicariously through her, we seem to have parallel views on the matter!

    So anyhoo, in reading her blog I’m finding out we have much in common, particularly an interest in art, and more importantly, an interest in our family history! I thought I’d share this precious photo of my Grandma & Grandpa with you. I just love it, it speaks volumes doesn’t it? Enjoy. Maybe mom will stop in and comment on this one. 😉

    Barney & Bailey Painting on Webcam!

    December
    8
    2004

    Webcam Link

    My webcam is on if you would like to watch me as I work on Barney & Bailey this afternoon!

    We went out yesterday afternoon with Grandma, it was fun! Jayden had a good time, too. 🙂

    I’ve been fiddling with some new blog/website layout ideas, hopefully you will all get to see it in action very soon! I’ll keep you updated, it’s going to be a fabulous surprise!!

    Ooh yes, I have a quick (literally, a couple of minutes) doodle to share. This is for you, K! 😉 Do you recognize the character?

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