Chocolate Consolation Cake

So, instead of having a baby today, I decided we'd have chocolate cake. Really good, Julia Child, chocolate cake. If I am not going to go into serious labor, I might as well be consoled by some serious dessert. I'm serving it for breakfast in the morning, bathed in whipped cream.

Spent a couple of hours earlier today folding laundry (getting caught up on everything suddenly seems like a good idea) and watching Julie and Julia while I did it. I am a big fan of Julia Child and enjoyed both her book "My Life In France" and Julie's book "Julie and Julia" and I'm a massive, massive Meryl Streep fan (really, who isn't, truly that woman is amazing) so, this movie was rather highly anticipated. I have been waiting with baited breath to see it for so long but, now that it has made its way to Instant Netflix I finally have found a way to work it in. People. I loved it. In some ways its a bit of a ridiculously easy sell. I love to eat and cook as much as the ideal audience possibly could, I'm a blogger myself, I loved Paris when we were there, I love my set of vintage pearls dearly, I work to cultivate joie de vivre and I'm a big fan of the film's stars and director (Nora Ephron of You've Got Mail fame for those who wonder). Its kind of a shoe-in. And then I'm excessively hormonal anyway.

And that's how you found me, snuggling the boys, curled up on the couch, sniffling away at the incredible beauty of Julia and Paul's deep love, laughing out-loud at the impossible rage you can feel at a destroyed dish and telling myself over and over that I must see this again with A. Its a wonderful date movie. At least its a great date movie for those who love food...or travel...or for those who love a writer or a blogger. We fit all those categories pretty firmly. I can't wait to see it again.

How can you not love Julia's crazy enthusiasm. Her optimistic, fervor and her blustering sense of persistence. She was a lovely person and its so beautiful to watch her life unfolding under Meryl's skillful fingers. I aspire. Really, I do.

So, for now, the baby is still not finished and while I wait for God to put on the finishing touches, you'll find me in the kitchen nibbling on my fabulous, glorious La Glorieux (the name of that chocolate cake) and maybe making honey locust fritters (on my list for tomorrow) and then possibly picking up three of my finished watercolors from the framer's. I'm entering an art show...just a small affair our church is putting on but, still...its me, in an art show. The world is amazing...you never know where you'll find yourself.

A Peek Into My "Studio"

My bedroom, my kitchen, my garden and the couch are really collectively "my studio" at the moment...there's no dedicated creative space in our house, no real "spot" to store all the artistic goods just a general flow of creativity that messes up the whole place and keeps us humming all over.

Friday was an explosive day for me, spurred on by a swap I was part of that involved a lot of crafting but, that was only the downhill push. Before I knew it I had avalanched my way into full creative mode complete with large amount of scrap fabric and other materials flying about and thrown hither and yon. Been way too long since I did any sewing, felt awfully good to sit and hum away on the machine again. I miss it. Am looking forward to a nice space for sewing at our someday house. Speaking of which....there may be house news on the way! (just a little teaser)

But, here's a peak into my workbasket lately:

And then....on the subject of personal artistic-ness I have to include this portrait sketch in pencil that one of my fabulously talented and inspiring fellow Tuesday art session painters did of me. I feel like I won the lottery! Can you believe it? I have had my portrait "done." So exciting!

Here's my favorite bit:

Paint on My Fingers

Had a great time at the art group I attend weekly today. Enjoyed blasting my way through another painting and am starting to really feel like I'm beginning to "get it" a little. The ladies there are so extremely encouraging. I have never been part of a group of professional-something-or-other-doers that was so welcoming, flattering and uplifting. I can't wait to go again next week.

 My favorite watercolor I've done so far, last week's creation.

This is the house I grew up in that my Papa built himself.

Our church is going to have an art show full of member's work (submissions in by June 6) and I'm kind of thinking of entering. I've never put anything in an art show before so, this is very exciting and also intimidating. Everything in me wants to wail, "But, I'm not an artist!!! I don't know anything about that kind of stuff, heavens!" but, I'm trying to pretend I am an artist so I'm trying to not listen and working on imagining myself getting a piece ready instead.

The work must be framed (something I've never done) and named, (something I totally stink at) so that will be interesting. One of the genuine artists in my group told me today that she could teach me how to frame something if I bought an appropriate frame at the local art supply shop and brought along a matting. I am hoping to be able to twist her arm into really doing it. It'd be good to learn and I am hopeful that it would be fabulously encouraging to boot, seeing something I painted all glossy and shining under glass.

The same kind woman lent me some watercolor pencils to try alongside my paints. They're basically colored pencils that smear and run like watercolors when you paint over them with water. Some of the colors run better than others and some of them change values when they are wet which makes them very interesting to play with. I had a lot of fun working with them today. I made this painting.

 My lightest colored work yet...still-life of tomatoes on the counter, mostly green.

I might buy a set for myself to play with. I find that I end up quite detail/realism obsessed in my painting which makes the tiny work tricky to pull off well with a brush. The pencils help there quite a bit. I am also considering getting some masking fluid as I have heard that can help with the slightly out of control way that watercolors can run and bleed into other areas. Making "white" parts of the painting is rather difficult otherwise. Am wondering if I should aquire some professional style watercolor paints too while I'm at the art supply store. I am actually painting with my sons paintboxes. I feel a little bad to be using up their paints and also wonder if I might get richer, clearer colors from higher quality paints. Might do some reading about how much benefit you get from going up class with certain supplies.

My watercolor benefactress has also offered to lend me books and videos on watercolor technique so I might be reading about art next! I do love to read so it would be a natural step. We don't have a video player that could play her vhs tapes but I could sneak off from moment to moment to a friend's house or the church to use a borrowed player I imagine. I am finding it hard to stop this painting business. I'm getting all addicted.