icing flowers!

Cupcakes from my cake class last night. We learned how to make different kinds of mums. Not my fav. I like Megan's orange one in the back, it looks like a rose. We are learning roses and some other kinds of flowers next week. I decided to take the flowers and fondant class next month too! I love it!

so it's been a while

It has been over a week since my last post. I've had some trouble with my right hand and wrist lately. I think it's carpal tunnel, so I've really been trying hard to stay off the computer, and I haven't been able work on any art. This really is a bummer. I depend on my hands to do what I love. I've been doing some stretches and they seem to be helping, but I'm still scared. 

Anyway, the past week has been super busy. Last Wednesday I had a family girls night which was very fun except for the country music I had to endure. My mom surprised us with a limo and bought us dinner too. 

mom, me, laura, cheryll, jessica and meghan

Kevin's cousin Sean got here on Friday, and my mother in law and niece came over for dinner that night. It was a lot of fun. Emma Kate is getting so big! 

mimi and emma kate

Saturday was the Flaming Lips March of 1000 Flaming Skeletons. It was fun, but Kevin and I agreed that it was way better last year (maybe that's because it was our first time last year). We made some pretty scary skeletons if you ask me. 

kevin and sean

the scariest skeletons in town

I added a few new recipes including Potato Soup, Roasted Beets, and two yummy sweets to the recipe page. Also update on recently listened to tunes: One of my favorite bands ever...Radiohead made an appearance on yet another drive to Tulsa today. Thom Yorke's solo album "The Eraser" was lovely in my ears when it was my turn to drive (and pick music). Tonight I have my cake decorating class, and we're learning how to make flowers. I can't wait. I'll put the pics up tomorrow. So long for now. 

updates all around

Thanks to high amounts of caffeine and working in a coffee shop there are new recipes include Almond Crusted Tilapia and Pumpkin Pancakes. I've been rereading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, so there are some thoughts related to that as well a nice sketch in doodles. 


Since all of our herbs have now been harvested there isn't much on our porch or in the garden besides some green vines. So we decided to plant some pansies this year. Last year we planted mums and they croaked in the weird Oklahoma weather. These are holding up better, and I think they look prettier too.

Found this weird metallic bug hangin
out and sucking on some fly guts...ew

It's almost Halloween...my favorite holiday! This coming weekend we are marching in the annual Ghouls Gone Wild OKC Halloween Parade as Flaming Skeletons. Our cousin Sean will be going with us this year. Here are some pics from last year. That's Kevin and I with Wayne Coyne! I'll post the new ones soon. :)
   


tunes: The Album Leaf "Into the Blue Again." This used to be my morning yoga music. I haven't listened to it in a while. Kevin was just home on his lunch break and put it on for me before he left. It's so soothing and great on this dreary drizzly day.

Oh and Pepper says hello

cake, blog, and bathroom makeovers

So I was getting kinda bored with the old blog. This is my name on Allrecipes.com. I thought it was cute, so tell me what you think. 

Anyway, this is my only day off work this week, and oh my goodness  I sure need it. I don't even want to get into how much I need a new part time job. It's killing me...slowly. I've tried my hardest to stay positive this week, and I think I've done a pretty good job. My mood is partly due to some news I got on Monday. I sold my framed piece at Momentum!!! Only 9 artists out of 50 at the show sold work. That made me feel really great. AND $150 plus all the small prints I sold. I also have my website almost finished. I just need to take some better pictures of a few things. Here it is if you want to check it out. sarahdayshortart.daportfolio.com  

Another thing that has kept me positive is looking forward to my cake class on Thursday night. Well Wednesday night when I baked my cake to take to class I had a disaster. The cake baking part is what I'm supposed to already know how to do, and be good at, if I do say so myself. We had to get this special pan that is 8" x 3" instead of two 9" x 2" pans. We were supposed to bake it at a cooler temp and for longer and then cut it in half to get the layers. Anyway, I lowered the temp, but apparently not enough. My cake looked done on the outside. It was even a little crispy around the edges. So I took it out of the oven, and when it was cooled I flipped it over. To my not so pleasant surprise the whole inside of the cake was runny. It ended up being completely hollow. I don't know how I pulled it off, but I figured out a way to cut a cardboard circle for the top of the cake. I iced over it, and you couldn't even tell. I took it to class, and only Megan and I knew it was a fake top. Here is my finished fishie cake! I put the recipe up for the chocolate cake which still tasted amazing. Just make sure you use 9" x 2" pans. :)

Well not much else has been going on this week thanks to my "part time" job. Hopefully I will have more interesting news next week...

I have some new sketches and plans for a few new prints to start on when I have the time. I am looking forward to experimenting with some new materials.

Megan and I are getting together next week to practice on our cake designs since our class will be postponed for a week.

Family girls night on Wednesday. 

And last but not least...our cousin Sean from New Mexico will be coming to stay with us next weekend. He is coming up for the annual Flaming Lips' March of 1000 Flaming Skeletons. Kevin and I marched last year, and it was a lot of fun. We are going all out this year with our skeleton makeup. I can't wait! 

Also the girly side of me has remodeled the cat bathroom into a guest bathroom for his visit and other visitors around the holidays coming. Trying to use that interior design skill I picked up in college. You like?

shortish update

I have been super busy this last week. I haven't really had time to post in a while. I did get around to posting 1 new recipe and a couple of thoughts though. 


Work sucks. It's that simple. I am trying my best to stay positive and remember the bigger picture. I went job hunting yesterday at a few frame shops in Edmond. I didn't have much luck except maybe a temporary holiday position. It would be beneficial to learn how to professionally frame my work, but is it worth quitting my job? I have a lot of decisions to make in the next few weeks. 


Hopefully tomorrow I can sell a ton of work at Momentum Tulsa. I am really excited about it! Also I stumbled across a great opportunity this week. The lady who  cuts my hair just moved into a brand new salon/spa called Rejuvenate in Edmond. She called and asked if I wanted to hang some work there...for free...no gallery cut...full profit! I jumped on that opportunity, and that is what I have been working on all week; framing, cutting mats, putting on wires, sanding and printing title and name plates. I put a few older prints up along with my two newest prints, an oil painting and a wood series of 4 pieces. All together I hung 11 pieces! Most of them are prints that I have multiples of, so I can sell more than one. I am hoping that I can make some money, so that I don't have to work as many hours. Less hours at work=more hours working on art for other shows AND my new website (which is under construction)!  


So I am thinking that maybe I would enjoy working at a bakery part time if I can't find framing or art jobs. I know, random, but my friend Megan and I decided to take a cake decorating class. Last night we had our first of four classes, and we both loved it! It was so much fun. Next week we make and decorate our first cake! Who knows maybe this could turn into more than a hobby...the next cake boss or ace of cakes?


Well next week I work 6 days, so most likely I won't have time to post. I am praying that I can keep my head on straight in the complete chaos there. No walking out in the middle of a shift. Must give a 2 weeks notice, but only when I have something else lined up. I will repeat these things in my head along with the mantra "It's just coffee". Wish me luck!

gearing up for Halloween!

 Anyone who knows me well, knows that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I'm getting excited already. Last night we carved pumpkins and roasted the seeds (which I posted the recipe for on the recipe page). Our pumpkins look awesome and so does our spooky porch.


This morning we drove to Tulsa to drop off my art for the show next weekend, a mini road trip. Road trips are great for rediscovering old music you haven't listened to in a while. The Sea and Cake "Nassau". I  love them, they are great as always. 

Tonight we made Pumpkin Vegetable Chili (recipes page) and watched the OU/Texas football game. Boomer Sooner! My aunt came over and ate with us. It was a good time.

My witch kinda looks like she has a beak

Kevin's carving of Pepper

Giant spiders

in the garden

Crazy Bo Jangles

  

it's October...harvest time!

We harvested most of our herbs last night. I spent hours stripping stems of their leaves. In order from front and left to right: lavender, oregano in the first bowl, a few patchouli leaves, rosemary in the small yellow bowl, basil, then thyme in the green bowl, and peppermint in the back. 

That's not even a quarter of our mint. We have a long way to go on that. These are all laid out flat to dry for about a week. There's no way we can use it all, so we will be giving some of it away. Up next; planting fall time things like mums and pansies. We got two carving pumpkins yesterday too, so we will be making some jack-o-lanterns soon! Happy FALL!