Sleepovers and Snow

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I most certainly did!!  I got a phone call on Saturday afternoon from my nine year old grand daughter.  She informed me that she and Landin had decided that they should come over and have a sleepover and invite Allie to come too!!  Worked for me!  I'm always up for grand kid pajama parties!!

We spent most of the afternoon, just hanging out, we found out that my oldest grand daughter had a basketball game, so we all piled in the car and went to cheer on her team.  They won!!  YAY !!!!  More often than not, she has a big fan club there cheering her on.  Danny and I try to make as many games as possible and she has her other grandparents, aunts, uncles and even a great grandma that come on occasion also.  It has been said that it takes a whole community to raise a child.  I love that my grandkids have such a large support group.  There is no doubt in their mind or ours for that matter, that they are loved and have support from us all.

Ok, sorry, back to the sleepover!!  On the way home Lanie ask if I had ice cream at home.  I told her no, but had a great idea!  A friend on facebook had recently made snow cream!  Our Alaska winters over the last few years had not accommodated with very much snow, but this year we have had plenty!!  I'm loving it and we had just gotten some fresh stuff that day.  Perfect for a big bowl of snow cream!!  I told the kids my idea, they had no idea what it was, but were super excited just to try something new.  Allie, said "Nana, I just wished on that star over there that we would make snow cream!"  I laughed and said, "Well, you wish is granted!!  We are making Snow Cream!!" 

I have made snow cream many times over the years.  So I have my own recipe, but was curious, so went to Pinterest and actually found another recipe for it, slightly different ingredients, They used soy milk for theirs and I have always used evaporated milk, but basically the same.

This is pinned to my board "Food and Recipes"

Stepped right out onto the deck and filled up my big stew pot with fresh snow!!  Started mixing all the ingredients and Landin and Allie ask if they could help.  I told them there wasn't much to do, just had to keep mixing until I got it right.  Landin looked at me and said, "But Nana, we always help you."  I had to giggle.  They are so stinkin' cute!!  We got it just perfect and I dished it up. 

Their very first bowl of Snow Cream!!

I remember my mom making it for me and my brother and sister and I have made it many times for my kids and their friends.  I actually posted this picture on my facebook page and one of Danielle's long time friends commented that she had memories of me making it for her too.

Good stuff and Good memories!! 

We woke up the next morning and Allie had brought a big bottle of bubbles and ask if they could play with them.  We did for a little while, indoors, but I also remembered a pin that I had added that involved bubbles.  It had said that if you blew bubbles outside and it was below freezing, they would freeze.  Perfect!!  Had to try it!  This is pinned to my board "Nana Day Activities to Try"

They were so excited, they didn't even take time to get dressed!  We all threw on our coats and boots in our pajamas and went out of the front porch to give it a try!!

It worked!!  They really do freeze!!

Lainie wanted to try to pick it up, but it melted as soon as she touched it.

I didn't have any time to plan craft projects or buy extra goodies at the store before the kids arrived this time, but we still had loads of fun!  Sometimes, the little things that happen spur of the moment are the best!

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Alaska Northern Lights

Ok, so this is kinda' stretching it on my Pinterest inspired blog, but this has been an exciting day for me that I just had to share!!

I guess I should back up and tell you what this story is all about.  Back in May, I had done a 4 foot by 4 foot painting of a Poppy field for my best friend and had taken it to the UPS store to have them package it and mail it.  While I was there, a lady saw the painting, 4 foot by 4 foot is kinda' hard to miss right?  Anyway, she saw it and told me that she worked at the local art gallery and she had never seen a painting like mine.  I do a lot of three dimensional accents to my paintings.  She said that I had to bring some of my work into the gallery!  It was a huge compliment and I was completely shocked and thrilled, and frankly, a little scared.  What if they didn't like my work.  I'm just now beginning to feel like I might be able to do this, what if I got shot down.  Would it destroy all the confidence that I had started to build when it came to my talents?  All of this was running thru my head and even though I knew I would eventually get up the courage to do it, I kept putting it off. 

In October, my daughter-in-law, Jayme, had ask for a painting of the Northern Lights for her birthday present which was coming up in November.  I hadn't even planned to do a painting for her this year, I know she loves my paintings, but I kinda' felt like I might be overwhelming them with paintings.  But she ask for it, so, of course, it was hers!!   I painted it for her and I have to say, I thought it turned out pretty good.  Jayme said that it was her favorite painting that I had done for her so far. 

                                                                               
That gave me the idea that I should do a much larger version to take to the Art Gallery.  I made the decision to try and get it painted and to take it to the gallery in time for Christmas shopping.  It was exciting to work on it, but I had to keep reminding myself to relax and enjoy it.  I was putting way too much pressure on myself to make it perfect.  Finally,  I finished it and I really do think it turned out really good.  But, still, I couldn't bring myself to take it to the gallery.  Those nagging insecurities got the best of me.  I have to say in my defense that I did proudly display it in my own little art section in Danny's shop!

So, today, a friend came by to visit that we hadn't seen since last April.  He was out in the shop with my husband, Danny and he came and told me that Ken was here visiting.  As always, when he comes to visit we have to go have lunch at our favorite Thai Restaurant.  Before we headed out though, I told him that I had stolen a portion of Danny's Man Cave for my own goodies and to come up and see.  I took him up to look around and he saw my Northern Lights Painting.  He said that he loved it and wanted it!!  I just looked at him and said, "Really?!"  He laughed and said, "Yes, how much?"  He bought it!!  Holy Moly, he bought it!

Everyone tells me that I shouldn't be shocked when people want to buy my work, but, honestly, I hope the thrill of knowing someone likes my work enough to pay for it never wears off.  It's exciting and humbling at the same time.  I know I still have to work thru those nagging little voices of insecurity, and believe me, today helped me move in that direction!!   Thank you Liz and Jayme for your belief in me and my work!!  I am very honored that God gave me this talent and I'm also very proud that I am trying to use it to the best of my ability. 

Hey!!  This does connect to Pinterest, because I also use a lot of the photography for inspiration for other work that I want to do and I found one that just might be my inspiration for my next painting of the Northern Lights.  I do need to do another Northern Lights painting after all.  And who knows, maybe this one will actually make it into a gallery.


What do you think?


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Lucky Enough to Live Here

Hello again!  An update on yesterdays post on "Salt Dough Ornaments".  The kids woke up and decided they needed to make more goodies, so I mixed up more dough and we made them thicker this time and used the 250 degrees for one hour method.  Well, they were perfect!!  No puffing up, no discoloration!  There you go!!

OK, I know I said the next post would be about the T shirt scarves.  I made quite a few of them for gifts at Christmas last year, but only made one style.  My daughter loves hers and actually bought a pack of T-shirts to make more, but in diffrent styles.  I told her I wanted to try out a few more styles so she gave me her shirts and I plan to make more to show you, so, stay tuned!

Yesterday, I took my grandkids home and it was the most beautiful day, which gave me the idea for this post!

I wanted to share my beautiful state with you!  This is pinned to my Pinterest Board "Beautiful Places I've been and Love"

We have had a more than average snowfall and, I won't say it too loud for fear that it will hear me, but the wind hasn't blown in a while, so all the snow is still on the trees. It's breathtaking everywhere you look, so I wanted to share just a few pictures I took on the short, (less than 5 mile) drive to my daughters house.

                                 This photo was taken as I pulled out of my daughters driveway.

This was taken on the road entering my neighborhood.  I get to see this view everytime I leave and come back home!  How did I get so lucky!!

I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful state!  When I was small, my Dad got a job working on the slope as an electrician.  Back then the rotations were three months on and one month off.  It wasn't the easiest life, especially for my Mom, since she was a single mom for the majority of the year, but we made it work and I especially loved the summers!  Dad would take his vacation time so that he was home for the entire three months of summer and we would hop in the motorhome and travel all over the United States.  I am proud to say that I have been to almost every State in the Union, the only states I have yet to visit are the ones north of New York state.  I will make it there some day for sure!!  This is a beautiful country and I encourage everyone to see as much as you can see!

Our family remained in Alabama for several years, but Dad kept telling us how beautiful Alaska was, so finally, they decided that the motorhome trip should extend all the way to the Last Frontier.  The plan was to come here and stay for the summer, then head back before school started again.  We headed north, not without incident I must say!  Back then the Alcan was 90% gravel, but it was an adventure I will never forget!  We made it to Alaska and never looked back.  The summer turned into a year and a year turned into 10!  The first three years we lived in two motorhomes that my Dad built a lean-to to connect.  Alaska has changed alot since then and over the years, one by one, my sister, then my parents and finally my brother all have moved on.  But this is and always will be my home.  When we have visitors come from the lower 48,  I sometimes get the question, "Do you ever take this beautiful country for granted?"  My answer is always the same, "No!"  How could I ever tire of marveling at the beauty God has given us to enjoy!  No matter how many times I look at a mountain, it is ever changing, the shadow, the seasons, the colors. 

The New Year is always a time to reflect back on your life and look forward to your future.  I am a very lucky lady is so many ways I can't even count!  I have my faith that grows every year, I have my family, my husband and I are still in love after 32 years and we love our family beyond words, we are not without our struggles, but I'm proud to say that no matter what any of us face, we face it head on and work thru it and know that we have the rest of the family supporting us and praying for us, no matter what.  I have my friends, who over the years always become family.  Alaska is a place where you take others in and love them as your own.  And I have my beautiful state of Alaska, the Last Frontier.  How did I get so lucky!

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