Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Oh Dear


Oh dear, looks like son K already had a snack of the gingerbread house, the chimney is discretely missing! It must have been good.

My poor mom is not responding well to her water pills, it's stressful, hope things turn around as we can't keep increasing her meds.  We were at the doctor yesterday.  The only good thing is that I am teaming with the pharmacist, the family doctor and the cardiologist.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Creative Tuesdays - Christmas Gingerbread House



I got this inexpensive gingerbread house kit from Ikea and asked daughter L to make it up for me. You have to make your own icing to decorate and then glue the gingerbread house pieces together. L found this wonderful gingerbread house icing recipe which uses only 3 ingredients, cream of tartar, icing sugar and egg whites. And of course, being Ikea this kit came with minimal assembly instructions in picture format!

Here is the result of L's efforts and our contribution to the Creative Tuesdays 'Christmas Gingerbread' theme:




Monday, December 12, 2016

Stacked Cooling Racks


Look what I found and bought recently, stacked cooling racks! Have you seen one of these?  You can bake and cool a lot of cookies at the same time.

I know of a couple of families who had their Christmas gatherings this past weekend, due to upcoming vacations and whatever, so the celebrations have begun!

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Sunday Sketches - Whimsy


Welcome to Alexandra's Sunday Sketches! This is a bit of whimsy for you today, based on a photo I took recently. It's done in my art journal in watercolour pencil and crayon (8 1/2" x 11").

Here is the photo. I actually did see the yellow sun peeking through the heart shaped hole but it was almost gone by the time I got my camera ready. The skies change in moments.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Cookie Exchange


These are the cookies daughter L brought home from a cookie exchange party she participated in, my favourite were the butterscotch shortbread.  There were lemon twists, red velvet, oatmeal, snowballs and mint chocolate ones.  I had cookies for breakfast the next day as I wanted to taste them all.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Paint Party Friday - Squirrel on a Wire


Welcome to Paint Party Friday! December is moving right along. This piece is called 'Squirrel on a Wire'. I was driving along one day and saw this squirrel running quickly and expertly across the street using this street wire. Has he figured out it's safer than crossing the road?  This piece is inspired by this incident. It's done in my art journal (8 1/2" 11") in watercolour pencil.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

The Dress

Husband M and I went to a Christmas party last weekend at the home of some friends we've known for a very long time.  The food was very good, it was a potluck supper.  One of the ladies there, she would be in her early to mid-sixties, remembered when she worked at the old Eaton's department store in the eighties or earlier.  She worked in the section where they sold very expensive dresses.  It is common knowledge that some women would purchase an expensive dress, wear it with the tag tucked inside and return it to the store soon after.  Maybe people still do this.  One particular lady had bought a dress and came in complaining she broke out in hives after wearing it.  Her money was refunded.  The manager sent the dress out to be tested.  They discovered it had traces of formaldehyde!  It seems the dress had been used on a deceased person for a visitation!  It must have been returned and the dress was sold to this other person.  Can you imagine?