Puppy Enjoying Winter Snow

Maybe she contemplating the gentle snowflakes falling. Or maybe she's planning her attack on villainous squirrel! Whatever caught her attention, puppy decided to stare out the window for over a half hour. She does like to eat snow on our walks. It's like she's eating a snow cone, she's just that excited over the frozen stuff.

Polenta Fries

Not the best photograph I have ever taken. But, the taste is delicious! These are my Polenta Fries. I thought I would share the recipe after seeing Polenta Croutons featured on, "The View". Pretty much the same theory - you make polenta and let it set-up, cut it apart, and bake it.

I use one cup grits, three cups water and one cup of milk. You could use four cups of water if you prefer. Salt is optional, although most people prefer it. Stir the mixture over medium heat on a stove top for about 10-15 minutes. Let the mixture "set" for about an hour. Spread the Polenta onto a non-stick baking pan about a half inch thick. Sprinkle garlic and paprika on top. Score the Polenta lightly about 1/4" so it looks like a french fry. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit  for a half hour then flip the Polenta over and bake the other side for an additional 30 minutes. Let it cool slightly and cut the creation to look like fries.

Pine Tree Watercolor

This is a painting I did of a pine tree in winter. There was a bit of lake effect snow yesterday. The lake is east of the cities, yet the air flow was such that it was pushing the weather system westward. Almost eight inches in some towns, while other cities got just a dusting of snow.

Watercolor Cabin at the Lake

Can you tell the days are getting colder here in Michigan? I am doing more and more watercolors. I have one more that's in the works right now.

I call this "Cabin on the Lake". Lakes are HUGE in Michigan - hence the name Great Lakes State. Some of the smaller lakes are so vast you cannot see landmass on the other side. A beautiful site.

Snow Watercolor

Here's a very quick watercolor of snow in winter.

Fields Watercolor

Here's another watercolor I did this past weekend. Looks like fields in springtime. This one is going to be a wedding present. I just need to mat the painting.

Applying Black Shoe Polish to Cloth Shoes

I have a pair of shoes that are in good shape, but I don't like the multi-color fabric anymore. What I really want is a pair of black mules. Before I donated these shoes, I decided to try and change their color using black shoe polish. I could have dyed the shoes. If I had dyed them with a liquid and the shoes got wet, like in a rainstorm, would my feet turn black?

Since I had the wax version of the shoe polish, that's what I decided to use on the shoes.

I used a damp paper towel and applied the wax polish to the shoes.

It took a couple of coats to cover the fabric base colors.

Overall, I got the effect I wanted - black mules. The wax polish doesn't come off. And I didn't spend a dime. Renew, reuse, recycle!

Watercolor Tree in WInter

Here's my version of a tree in winter. The original was in a book that a borrowed from the library...yes, people still READ printed books.

Magazine Box

My Mom wanted a magazine box from a large big box store. I took a look at the container and told my Mom I could recreate it. Here's my version of the box made from sisal, fabric and a bow.

I made a box out of corrugated cardboard that fit the largest magazine my Mom had. Next, I used hot glue to attach rope around the bottom half of the box.

Here's where it gets interesting. I took a drop cloth and measured and marked squares around the box to form fabric that lines the inside portion of the box and drapes over the sides enough so the unfinished portion of the box remains hidden no matter how many magazines place pressure on the fabric lining.

After cutting and washing the fabric, I pressed and starched the drop cloth.

Now it was time to sew seams along the edges.

Once the edges were sewn, I placed the fabric inside the box. I used upholstery tacks to attach the cloth to the box and finished the look with an organza bow. Voila!

Watercolor in a Weekend

I have been painting watercolors lately. This is a painting of an ocean scene. Very calming.