National Homemade Cookie Day is October 1, 2022 All of these cookie recipes have been favorites of our family for years. They are great for after school munching, cookie jar filling and taking along to a picnic or tail-gating party. They are all super easy to make. Grandma Upham’s Buttermilk Sugar Cookies 1 Cup Sugar …
Do you want to paint an ABSTRACT? Once you’ve been painting for awhile and you have become proficient in lots of techniques, you may become a little “bored”? Maybe you’re looking to paint something without copying from another artist, painting in someone else’s style or maybe just looking for something different. Trying your hand at …
Abstracts – easy ways to begin when you don’t know where to start Read More »
Blackberry cobbler sounds like just what is needed on a warm summer night, sitting on a porch swing or watching the fireflies from your back yard. This dessert is so easy to make that it can be whipped up in a jiffy! It’s “old-fashioned” deliciousness can’t be beaten especially when you add a scoop of your …
Yummy Blackberry Cobbler made from fresh or frozen berries Read More »
What is Acrylic Paint Pouring? Acrylic paint pouring, also called fluid painting, is an art technique, where thin acrylic paint is poured onto a canvas or other surface. Many varied effects can be achieved. Some of these are very simple and some require a little more technical knowledge. Paint pouring is GREAT for Beginners!! It’s …
This cake is one that my mom, Elsie Warner, made a lot. Here it is decorated for Easter. It is super moist, has optional nuts & chopped dates in it, which we all loved. She always frosted it with cream cheese frosting. Delicious! And one funny aside: Mom always ground her carrots the night before …
Paint Mountains and Big Surf in Acrylics Colors: White, Thalo Blue, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Sap Green, Turquoise Background: Paint 11 x14 canvas in Light Blue, using White + tch Thalo Blue Transfer design Sky: White + tch Thalo Blue + tch Burnt Umber (this is a light gray/Blue. Add some White Wispys for …
This acrylic tutorial of Daffodils & Bird’s Nest is easy to follow and will be enjoyed by beginners as well as more advanced painters.
This recipe was shared by one of my students, Sandy Bennett from Chicago. It’s so easy and really flavorful and delicious! A great dish to serve guests. Ingredients 8 oz. baby spinach, divided1 Cup Sun dried tomatoes packed in oil & Italian herbs, drained (about 7 oz)1 large onion, sliced1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken …
Supplies & Colors Needed White, Black, Sap Green, Cad Yellow light or medium, Dioxazine Purple, Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Magenta. Transfer Paper, blending medium, variety of small brushes, 1 large flat brush, 11 x 14 canvas Background Prepaint canvas with pale green (white + Sap green). Use a large flat brush, with criss-cross (slip-slap) …
Lilacs & Butterfly Acrylic painting for beginners Read More »
Learn to paint this Great Egret (White Heron) in acrylics, using a tissue paper, textured background
Christmas Mice Colors: White, Black, gray, sap green, Christmas (bright) red, Ultramarine Blue, Other supplies: transfer paper, foam dauber Background Paint entire canvas or board with Medium Blue created by adding UMB to White. Dry Transfer design. Scumble background loosely (follow picture) with White paint (dry brush look). Snowballs Undercoat the large snowball with pale gray …
This is an easy, acrylic painting for fall and illustrates how to paint a pumpkin, easy grapes and Bird of Paradise.
How do You find Peace? What’s Your Go-To Way to find it? Do you know how to put yourself in a peaceful state of mind? For some of us it might be going into your private place and reading the Bible and praying. Some might do a similar thing and call it meditating. Some might …
An “easy- to- paint” still life, featuring sunflowers, textured vase & fabric, and directions for a blended background.
Fun Halloween Foods for kids & adults It’s that time of year again, Halloween, fun times for young and old. Besides all the scary decorations and the fun of creating a unique costume, parties and food are fun for all. To save time for creating the perfect party, you can always order all the candy …
Easy Halloween Painting Prep Colors: White, Black, Dioxazine Purple, Cad Red Lt., Cad orange, Cad Yellow Deep, Chrome Ox. Green, Yellow Ochre I use Liquetex brand paints and you can purchase these online using this link: https://amzn.to/2Y3EKle or if you want to use bottle acrylics this is Folk art is a good buy. https://amzn.to/3urnj9O …
Best appliances for Beginning cooks Be the King or Queen of Breakfast As anyone, who has read any of our blogs or our newsletter, knows, I love to cook. It’s what I do to relax, what I do when I’m happy and when I’m sad. If I’m uptight or worried , cooking takes my mind …
Top Six Small Kitchen appliances To Cook Breakfast Read More »
Master the basic methods of blending acrylic paints that will help you in all of your painting projects.
Here’s how I get rid of a few extra pounds by eating delicious, low calorie & filling Cabbage Soup .
4 Halloween Costume Ideas Ron and I have always enjoyed getting dressed up for theme parties and Halloween. We are always on the “lookout” for costume ideas. So these are just some of our favorites. Metal Statues This is a great costume and we got the idea when we were in Europe because so many …
These appetizers are great tasting, quick to make, guests love them and most of the ingredients can be kept on hand in pantry and fridge.
Sand castings are really easy to do for anyone above the age of about 3 and require very few and easily obtainable supplies and can be very creative as art projects.
Anniversary Reflections on 62 Years married This lovely poem was written by our good friend, Lea Salafia. Lea and her husband, Mike, are one of the couples she writes about, celebrating 62 years of marriage. The other two couples are Ron & I and other friends, Elaine & Jim. We’ve all found each other in …
Paint a Horse Portrait in Acrylics Nearly everyone loves horses and admires their sleek bodies and beautiful manes. This one is a Missouri Fox Trotter, so named for its grace & rhythm as a show horse. It is also considered a very comfortable horse to ride. As far as painting horses is concerned, as least …
This is a peaceful little scene, easy enough for beginners. It will teach you to paint water, foliage and a few accents like the boat, the pilings and the Pelican. Colors Needed White, Black, Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna, yellow Ochre, Lt. Olive green, Chrom Oxide green, sap green, Ultramarine Blue, Dioxazine Purple. Liquitex Basics are …
Paint this easy and beautiful mommy swan and baby swimming in a lily-filled lake, in acrylic paints.
These 3 salad recipes make a great addition to your summertime repertoire, easy to make, travel well and everyone LOVES them!
Fantastic Family Gathering Brunch Recipes For the first time in a year and a half, Rete & I were finally able to visit our kids and the rest of our families. Thanks to our daughter, Jodi, we had a wonderful day with almost our entire family, hugging, talking and eating. It felt so good to …
Bouquet of Tulips to paint in Acrylics This EASY acrylic painting can be done on a 11×14 canvas or a porch board (9 1/2 x 24, pine, sanded and basecoated). Colors:White, Dioxazine Purple, Magenta, Cadmium Red Light, Yellow Ochre, Chrome Oxide Green, Aqua or Turquoise BackgroundPaint, Dry Paint 2nd color if desiredTransfer main lines of …
Fun Whimsical Flamingo Painting This cute and whimsical flamingo painting can be painted by anyone, including beginners. I painted it on a 10 x 20 canvas but it could be done on an 11 x 14 instead. Colors needed: White, Black, Cad. red Lt., Flourescent or Cad. Orange, Magenta, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Lt. …
Enjoy this Greek dinner with family or friends. Have a great party!
A habit of lifelong learning will help make your retirement years much more interesting & fulfilling.
Paint this purple waterlily even as a beginner Even a beginner can paint this beautiful waterlily in acrylics. This beautiful lily has been growing in our small pond for about 8 years. I’ve thought that it was dead several times, but finally realized that waterlilies just have a dormant period each year. The flowers and …
Cheer up friends with a fun little gift of food Fun food gifts and even those where you are just sharing a part of your family meal are welcome and appreciated by friends and neighbors alike. We live in a retirement community and especially during this pandemic, we have many friends who are alone and …
Some thoughts and inspirational quotes to get 2021 off to a great start!
Thoughts on Covid Oh Covid, oh Covid You think you’re here to stay Oh Covid, oh Covid, Not if we have it our way. You tried to ruin our parties, our fun, We managed, even if we had To stay out of the sun. Our birthdays, our anniversaries Through trials and adversities We managed to …
The Light in Grandma’s Eyes by Lea Salafia Lea wrote this for her Mother-in-Law, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, and this is what she saw in her eyes. Lea read the poem at her funeral. This could be the feeling that many people who are incapacitated and unable to communicate verbally might have. This is …
Inspirational Words about Alzheimer’s Disease by our friend, Lea Read More »
Beginners “Autumn Color’ Painting Lesson Colors: Ultramarine Blue, Cad Yellow Med., Cad Yellow Lt., Cad Red Lt (or Vermillion), White, Burnt UmberOther tools: Palette Knife, chalk, white stiff bristle brush, flat brushes, filbert brush. Sketching & Prep Sketch horizon line in 4 1/2″ down from Top.Sketch river at horizon, 5″ in from L, 2 1/2″ in …
Introduction This Reflections of Covid was written by my sister, as her means of coping with the Covid pandemic and the ensuing lockdown/quarantine. Sometimes just the writing down of your feelings, gets them off your mind and out of your head, even if, for only a little while. Starting with the new year of 2020 …
This lesson has lots of different techniques to learn including the use of complementary colors and blending
Acrylic Paint Pouring is Fun & Freeing Acrylic paint pouring has gained immense popularity among artists and non-artists alike. Artists like it because it is another outlet for their creativity. There’s a great amount of mystery to using these paints and attempting to follow the many techniques out there. You just Can’t predict what the exact outcomes …
3 yummy make-ahead appetizers to keep you always at-the-ready for entertaining!
Beat the depression, gloom, loneliness and uncertainty of this Pandemic and its aftermath,by using these 5 tips.
Keep these quick and easy appetizers in mind for drop in guests as well as party fare.
This Palm Frond art is a fun & creative way to create whimsical creatures for your wall.
These recipes have been in our family for many generations. Christmas baking is a German tradition and we made dozens of these each year.
