setbacks....

                  It's amazing how I trip myself up and create setbacks for myself; all by myself.  I want to cry, but instead I laugh about it because I did it all to myself :)

First off, I knew from reading the rating of my professors they weren't going to be the easiest instructors, but I still signed up for their classes.  Then I procrastinated until the middle of the first week of class before I got around to ordering the books I need.  Are they here yet, oh noooooooo.  When's my test? tomorrow.... :)
So that's one setback.

Now, I've been working on my Say Si glass project for a while now.  The first plate, I decided I didn't like my design. Not a problem, I have time..:)  Designed my second piece this week, cut all my glass. Was ready to clean and put in the kiln.  As I walked to the sink I decided to pick up the phone and call my daughter....bad move, my shoulder up and my hand tilted down "SMASH" half of my design was on the floor in many more pieces than I cut.   Back to the cutting board....  SO now I cut the new pieces, cleaned everything and put in my kiln.  Now I was looking at the base of the glass which is  clear circle, and thought to myself "that is big".  Yes, yes, yes, how right I was.  Instead of taking it back out of the kiln and making the base just a tad smaller I fired it anyway.  Guess what?  My piece is about 1/4th of inch too large for my slumping mold.  hhhmmmm. Well now I face another setback, do I start over?  Do I try to adjust the finished piece and re-fire?   Only the day will tell.

I hope I can think things through a litle better next around to avoid all the setbacks I create for myself.  Happy Thursday everyone!!!!

Just an update: As I logged out, my doorbell rang and the postman was there with my 2 books to save the day!!!!

Busy, busy, busy!

Wow! As the spring semester took off this week, I found myself with some very intense, but very talented  instructors.  The demands and challenges are high and I'm hoping to get through the next 15 weeks without anxiety attacks. It feels nothing like last semester where everyone was laid back and the instructors were fun to work with.  Oh well, I'm there to learn and get the most out of it.

On another note, my wonderful husband, brother and brother in-law helped to complete the interior of my studio space and installed beautiful french doors! It is not completely finished, but when it is I will post pics!

An exciting little tid-bit, I was invited (again) by Say Si to participate in their small scale art auction.  I'm working on a piece to donate, and hope to have the it ready to deliver by next weekend :)

Did you know that February 8th is National Kite Flying Day? It's one of my favorite days of the year!
I love flying kites, especially on the beach:)

Rockaway Beach Sunset

    Recently, I have had the pleasure in making a new friend on Facebook, Michael Schor. Michael is a photographer taking absolutely stunning photographs of sunrises and sunsets on the shores of Rockaway Beach, NY.  However, before we became friends, another friend of mine on Facebook "liked" one of his photos, (which I loved upon seeing) and asked if I could use the photograph for a project, which he gracefully agreed. The last few weeks I have been working on it and finally thought if I don't stop now, I'll never feel that its finished.

Although I just started painting in the fall of 2012, I find pleasure in it and hope that my skills will grow as I continue on this new journey.   A heartfelt thank you Michael for allowing me to use your photograph!

                                           30" x 36" acrylic

I loved living in Rockaway and waking up to the ocean and the sunrises.  In the evenings I would climb the life guard chair and watch the sky as the sunset!

Happy New Year!

A new day to the new year!!!!

South Padre Island Sunrise  16" x 20" acrylics

Greek Christmas Cookies

Tis the Christmas season with some old fashioned Greek butter cookies!

Every year I make Christmas cookies  for my family and friends in the neighborhood.  I always make the same ones every year, Kourambiedies (Greek butter cookies).  I got the recipe from my cousin Sonia (who has a large family and large circle of friends). The first year I followed the recipe precisely and I ended up by the oven all day making dozens after dozens of cookies!  Since then I have cut the recipe in half and now the  make about 6 or 7 dozen, just enough for my family and friends!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Place

         As this semester comes to a close, we had one final painting to create. Each person randomly picked a word out of a bag and had to create something that represented that word.  I got Place. Place is pretty easy, I could have chosen any "place"  to paint. I however, decided to go a slightly different route of "place".  If your in San Antonio, and it's dusk you can hear them in the trees and across the electrical liens, especially if your at a red light on a corner of any HEB. Some people call them trash birds, others think their evil.  Me, I personally find them beautiful and beautifully social!   My painting is called "Evening Social" and the main character is the Grackle.

As you can see all his friends are waiting for him to join them up on the wire!

Christmas cooking!

       I love cooking during the holidays!  Christmas cookies and treats! Special lunches and dinners for get together's!
      Every year my son's Tae Kwondo school hosts a pot luck Christmas party. This year I was more than enthused to participate! So this morning I got up at 5am and put out frozen Rhodes rolls so they can defrost and rise.  Then a few hours later I started chopping onions, pepper, garlic and cooking Italian sausage.

My contribution this year was Italian sausage & peppers along with dinner rolls.

I usually make my sausage and peppers with marinara sauce but I thought  the sauce always covered the beautiful colors of the peppers. I searched the internet and BAM! I found an easy recipe that had 5 star reviews and looked very tasty! Here's the link if your interested in the recipe.  It turned out REALLY good! (Of course I tasted before I take it to the party! :))

Easy Italian Sausage & Peppers Recipe


Here's my pictures from this morning:

 Rolls rising

 Rolls done!

 Sausage cooking

Sausage & peppers done!

I can't wait until my daughter comes home for Christmas break so we can start cook all the sugary treats of the holidays!