Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Holiday Eating Tips....to live by

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS - To help us through the season!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat.. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? LaborDay?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Hope this put a smile on your face.  Happy Tuesday!!  Hugs, Erin

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Mixed Media on Canvas - Paint on Waxed Paper


A new mixed media piece done on a 8x10 canvas.  This piece was inspired by yet another online class I'm taking with Junelle Jacobsen. 

Close up of my new piece


Acrylic paint in varying shade were painted on wax paper

Wax paper was then cut into flower petal shapes (and leaves, not shown)


Corrugated paper was cut into vase-type shapes

Vase shapes were adhered with glue; flower petals and leaves adhered with gel medium;
vases painted with blue acrylic paint
 
Close up of a flower - this was stamped with word text, button glued to the middle,
black pen lined the petals and leaves for dimension with white paint pen added for highlight



Final piece - No title yet

Hope everyone had a lovely November (while I was busy with teenagers and chaos)!
Check back for tomorrow.  Hugs,  Erin