Help!

wrapping up the finishing details on this painting for Miss Stella Vita (my lovely 10 yr. old step daughter) and I just can’t figure out if she needs a nose or not??! It’s not hard to tell whose inspired this whimsical style ehhehhummm…Michelle Allen. I took a sketch of a squid I did in Carla Soneheim’s silly online workshop and morphed it into this little octopus, who actually has a whole lot of meaning for Stella and I packed into it, more on that in a minute…

What do ya think? Nose? No Nose???

I used acrylic paints for the her body and opted for an oil paint background, I love blending oil paint colors.

So, I have yet to surrender my soul to Jesse Reno’s workshop and although I thought I would this year at Artfest…he’s not teaching…boo! But I took a stab in the dark, attempting what I thought would be his technique (I’m actually dying to know if I’m even close to the process)

See this above pic was the just the beginning. I took an old canvas painting of mine from my interior design-beach vacation rental staging days, I painting I did- that really I thought was hiatus [but worked for the setting then] and went crazy painting different color shapes all over it. Then in pencil drew my octopus character…and well, the rest just evolved from there working on it a little bit over the last couple weeks. Always keeping in mind Reno’s saying:

“don’t like it?….paint over it!”

Let’s just say there are a lot of layers of paint going on here. I mean A LOT!

O.k. the story behind the painting… Stella is amazing at just about every sport she participates in. Swimming has been her forefront sport of choice the past couple of years. And by reading her Mom’s blog and hearing stories first hand from Stella she’s really been excelling and ‘prolly one of, if not the best swimmers on her team. Recently she decided to quit/take a break, because in her words; her feelings were hurt. Everyday in line up and in between drills the coach hollers words of encouragement and pays accolades to most of the girls on the team, except Stella. Stella feels like the loaner here, this makes her feel bad. Although Stella is able to acknowledge the coach has pulled her aside and said to her she’s a really good swimmer and she just pushes her to try harder cause she knows Stella is more than capable.

The light bulb goes off in my my head [I think I've been here before]…Stella IS the best swimmer on the team, I don’t doubt this for one minute knowing her competitive little soul I explained why the coach might not pay her the accolades she’s looking for…”Stell, you’re prolly the best swimmer out there and if the coach gives you all the same compliments she does the others, when you’re already winning every drill/exercise at practice then it looks to the other team mates like the coach is favoring you and well, just think of how you’d feel if you weren’t as good of a swimmer….

Stella: “I know, I know…I’m gonna start swimming again, I promise Mama.” (I’m mama, or mama T.)

This painting was started when she came to visit us…and of all the paintings started on my work bench she was drawn to it…

“Mama, i Loooove this one!”

“Good, cause I’m painting it for you.” And that’s when the “i swim to save my soul” saying was jotted down on a piece of paper next to the painting…

Finished one of five paintings I have started…woo hoo. This is for Bree, the crafty quilter behind Me & My 2Guys. She was my paired partner for the international craft swap. So, this bright oil painting is going be traveling all the way to Australia very soon…soon as it dries…a little (hopefully sooner than later)

Title:  “Earth Laughs in Flowers”

[original oil painting by Tyler Larsen]

It’s kind hard to paint something for someone you don’t exactly know. There’s apprehension, are they gonna hate it? love it? give it away? throw it away? laugh at it? critique it? Ugh the list goes on and on…while I’m painting with really no direction in my head…so I emailed Bree and asked her if she could help me and offer more input, other than what I already knew [her color likes and dislikes, oh and that she liked flowers] Bree complied sharing where the painting was gonna hang, in her studio space, and what that space looked like, that of all flowers she really liked “Sunflowers” and artists like Vincent VanGogh and Monet. But didn’t exactly like Picasso’s abstract style, she was even helpful in looking through my latest works and offering what she liked and didn’t like about them [which I wish happened more often- it's good to hear what other people see in your art]…and better yet she introduced Australian artist David Hart’s work to me as an example of what was recently catching her eye:

So…I brainstormed a plan to merge the colors of David Hart’s art with a little VanGogh “feeling” by using lots of brush strokes and texture then put a twist by free handing an inspirational quote “Earth Laughs in Flowers” by Robert Waldo Emerson in the center of the flower- I think it looks kind of like a faded photograph with the back ground; a bright calypso blue acrylic peering through the sunflower...Bree is also has quite the green thumb, you should check out her garden pictures! I hope this brightens her space.

I had fun painting it…and I’m really enjoying it in my studio as it sits up on my work bench to dry.:) Thanks for being patient Bree. Hopefully we’ll be able to collaborate on a magnificent quilt someday soon!

I’ve become completely addicted to eating Vermicelli bun bowls “Bun Ga’ Nuong” [Charbroiled Chicken] being my favorite on the menu at any Vietnamese restaurant we’re dining in…it’s the perfect trifecta, lean protein, rice noodles…and a salad packed with lots of yummy veggies. I crave this dish almost every time I finish a good work out or a long run…and with the hub’s addiction for pho’ I find the bun bowl is a perfect summer companion….the bun bowl is served at room temp- no hot soup for me during the summer months. I asked one of our favorite places we frequent down at Alki how to make the sauce…after making bets with the hub what I thought it was…

I wasn’t too far off. So, I decided I’d give it a shot and try making it myself. Here’s how I did it….

NOODLES:

[photo courtesy Tom Hagert Lakeview Local]

You want to use Mai Fun Vietnamese rice stix noodles, in my opinion your best bet is to visit a local Asian specialty market to get your noodles and sauces….you know where you find labels nearly impossible to read- these are the goodies that recreate the yummy flavors the restaurants do…the noodles are super duper thin, thinner than angel hair pasta. First step: while your cutting your veggies is to soak the Mai Fun noodles in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes, then drain your soaked noodles and place them in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes.  Drain the boiled noodles and set aside.

VEGGIES: Couple handfuls of julienned romaine lettuce [or any lettuce you prefer] a handful of julienned carrots, a handful of cucumber [skin the cucumber and julienne only the seedless portions] and handful of bean sprouts- I actually prefer mine without the sprouts, but hub likes em’ so I did this time. And a handful of skinned julienned jicama [in the restaurants the jicama and carrots are actually pickled- but I have no clue how to "pickle" veggies...maybe next time?!]

Place all you veggies in a large bowl…bigger the bowl the better…the portion of this dish is BIG- maybe that’s why I love it! But it’s all good healthy stuff!

CHICKEN:  Marinade each boneless, skinless breast in some poultry seasoning [I used Montreal Chicken seasoning- I think it's Grill Mates brand] and a couple dashes [tablespoons] of this magic sauce:

Mae Ploy…sweet chili garlic sauce [note to self; do not taste test this yummy sauce before a 5 mile run! I was burping garlic for the first three miles!]

Grill the chicken breasts per your fancy….we used our new barbecue, but a George Foreman or any other grill/broiler method would suffice.

Above is hub’s bowl…place a large heap of cooled rice noodles over the veggies then place [in hub's case] a gigantic chicken breast sliced on top…

SAUCE:

• 1/4 Cup Fish Sauce- 3 Crab brand or any vietnamese brand
• 2/3 hot water
• 1/4 cup sugar [or less]
• juice from half a squeezed lime
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of garlic chili paste [I used garlic chili sauce-rooster brand, and it worked just fine]

Whisk all ingredients together and serve a ramekin size to each person. [This sauce can be stored in air tight container for up to a month in the fridge.]

pour your sauce over your yummy bun bowl and mix it all together and enjoy!

WINE:

I suggest pairing your bun bowl with this…

Tangent Sauvignon Blanc….YUM! Crisp, little sweet….yum.

Running: It’s going great. I ran 10 miles on Saturday in 01:27:00 I’m feeling pretty good about staying on target for hitting my goal w/ Bellingham…woo hoo only like 30 something days till the race. Ran speed intervals again last night with the West Seattle Runner group. We did 800m warm up & 2×800 at 3:25 pace  & 4 x 1000m at 4:25 pace then another 2 x 800m again at 3:25 pace, I ran to practice and back home totaling about 7 miles. I’m really looking forward to my cousin Molly coming home next week from India, she wants to train for the Seattle marathon in November. It will be really nice to have someone to run my long run with.

Happy hump day…I’m off to the gym for an easy treadmill run and to sit in the sauna! Then plan on honing in on at least one of about five painting projects I have started! My studio looks like a tornado went through it

Happy Anniversary babe!

Circa 2006…

The hub and I in San Diego, I think we were married a couple weeks in this photo, I was in San Diego to finish up some interior design work, the hub flew out to join me for my 10 year high school reunion…with my wedding ring in hand…a total sweet surprise. He’s often full of those.

Circa 2007…

This is us in the car, in Colorado, in the doctors office parking lot. We just got the news that we were pregnant! Elated, we both we’re absolutely elated.

Later that year we nested together, painting Arlin Jack’s nursery…I was VERY pregnant as you can see. A 9 lb. baby butter ball was bakin’ in the oven.

Near the end, hub had to help paint the high spots…I was way too big to be messing around on a ladder…[he's so handsome in his "painter" paints]

Circa 2008

I’ve gotta a monkey on my back… Jacker pants is here! We drove up in the mountains for an afternoon hike and to scope out some new camping spots for summer.

Circa 2009

Depeche Mode at Red Rocks [I swear I'm wearing a shirt in this picture, really I was!] One of the top five concerts on my list for sure. It could have something to do with the fact that D.M. is hub’s ALL time favorite band of all times and he was like a five year in a candy store with excitement…so much fun.

2010…

We kicked in the New Year with the decision to do the craziest thing we’ve done [this far] in our marriage…

We packed up our stuff and headed for the Northwest!

Having no idea what would lie ahead of us. Away we went…

TOGETHER.

Happy four…and many, many more!

Love you babe.

& Running!

Stella (my step daughter) is here from Denver…a much needed visit for all of us. We decided to take Arlin Jack to his first ever movie on the big screen.

is this picture not the best?! I love it…Quiet as a church mouse, Jacker’s sat glued to the edge of his seat (which was a good thing, cause when he leaned all the way back the seat folded up on him and his little short legs!)

3-D Toy Story 3…brilliant kids flick, really I’d totally see it again. However, I’ll pass on the movie theatre “buttered popcorn”, geez! I forgot what a stomach ache that stuff gives me.

In conjunction to another painting I’m working on for Bree of Me and My 2 Guys (sorry no spoilers till it’s finished) I’ve started the background for my

33 things to do before I turn 34 list…

(mostly inspired by janne and michelle-thanks ladies!)

lots of color…I was feeling chipper this morning with a cup of coffee in hand and the kiddies were off playing soccer at the park with pops.

Phase II: Whoa that’s a lota’ circles to fill up! (I’m thinking I better make them “realistic” things to achieve?!)

Phase III of the mighty bubble background…now the brainstorming begins…this is kinda fun! I could go to the moon and back with grandiose ideas of far off travels and yummy exotic foods I’d eat, mmm. But…well, I’ll just have to stay grounded, humble and VERY realistic about my list, so I can feel good about marking them off as I go I have till September 8th to fancy my bubbles. Yes, I’m a virgo, and lists are right up my alley. Especially if you can doodle them artsy in your journal! Stay tuned.

Here are some other inspiring “lists” from out in blog-land:

Hula Seventy

Rhubarb Sky

Michelle My Belle

Spindlemaker

The Queen of Tides

Now if you’ll excuse me I must slip off to sleep land...I ran another speed track practice tonight with a group from West Seattle Runner, I feel great, but pooped! Here’s a peek at me workin’ it on the track!

20 x 200 meters @ 44 second each interval…our goal was 52 sec. each, but the gals I was paired up with weren’t afraid to kick it up a notch, our times were anywhere from 42-46 seconds each interval..that’s an 5:55-6:20 minute mile pace.

My two partners & me on the left.  I’m thrilled to be meeting local runners who are training for upcoming marathons…they’re so inspiring and make me wanna keep on truckin’ running!

Michelle Allen has launched a new website Close 2 My Art.com! To celebrate she’s offering a BIG giveaway!

giving away 4 shopping sprees!
$100.00, $75.00, $50.00 and $25.00
4 Chances to WIN and 4 different ways to Enter:

Head on over to Michelle My Belle’s blog and enter to WIN!

Look at what I just got in the mail today! I couldn’t wait to see if I won. I love this hoot, it’s going in a frame tomorrow and going to look so great in my studio.

“Riding on Wisdom” print of an original acrylic painting by the lovely Michelle Allen.

O.k. now go enter to win!!!

Here

So talking to Abby J. on the phone last week…doing some much needed catching up, I told her I’ve been on a bit of painting streak ( I think I have about 4 canvas’ going right now) and since it is/was her birthday and all I’d send her something..when I asked if she had anything in mind she said…

“Um, something Northwest influenced!” …*giggle*

“But of course.”

Title:

"Away we go...to the Pacific Northwest"

(Original collage/acrylic painting on 16x 20 canvas by Tyler Larsen)

Happy Birthday girl. This painting has got character for sure. You’ll find something new almost every time you look at it. I’ve been at it all this week, and in between painting and listening to Beach House I may have shed a tear or two…but hey, it’s got nothing but good mojo in all those layers of paint! I felt like I was painting a prayer flag, full of intention. I miss you guys like crazy. I’m only posting this one pic…no close ups till you get it in the snail mail, don’t want it to fully lose it’s luster….I’ll ship it in the next couple of days…after I find a box it will fit in!

Love ya’.

P.S. yes,miss Cadee, put your request in…your next! Love-T.

I ran my 1st official race as an adult. Chad and I got up early yesterday morning and headed out to Redmond for the Foot Zone 5K. Wow. I was really surprised at the amount of talent packed into this small event. There were 418 bibbed racers, a lot of whom looked professional. And after surfing the names on the race result roster…it’s confirmed there were quite a few elite runners present. (especially in my age division! )

The details:  I took place at the 8:00 minute mile marker line up behind the start line. Of course I was totally second guessing myself. I felt super intimidated by the pack of people around me, which were mostly men. It was cold, misty n’ damp and I felt stiff. I had only taken a couple of laps around the parking lot after we registered. Chad snapped a picture of me here then he pushed Arlin in the jogger back to the 10 minute mile marker. (I am very proud of the hub- he did a great job! and set his own new best pr at 28:17)

Flattering picture I know right? I’m trying to work out a kink in my right hip adductor… who’s the kid in the blue behind me? ha. (he’s only 23 yrs. old and he only beat me by 53 seconds!) O.k. o.k. so how did I do? The gun fired and I lunged into a sprint, a hefty sprint for about a quarter mile, then I realized I wasn’t playing it smart nor was I using any control. I backed off a bit and sunk a little as the fast pack flashed by me. I was alone there was no one to pace me…no one pushing me. It was really weird I felt very alone in the race, you start out in a sea of fish then all the sudden you’re looking for a buddy…someone to run with! I looked down at my Garmin and my average pace was 7:08 minutes…I thought I was hanging in there and I was feeling proud knowing I’d beat MY personal best and really that’s all that mattered. The course was 2 butterfly laps through the Redmond Town Center, sorry but it was an extremely lack luster course, I felt like I was running figure eights lined with sights of suburbia-ick.

Last bend I turned and could see the finish line I tried sprinting the rest of the way. I crossed the finish line and the clock read;

00:24:53

It was my new best personal 5k time…and I was giddy knowing inside….I can do better than that. (and I will someday soon)

Stats:  I placed 17th out of 69 women in my age division (30-39 yrs.) I placed 53rd out of a total of 213 women. This was a Co-ed race, out of 418 participants I finished 160.

Post Race:  post banana…I’ll take it! This was my first real race experience. And although my goal ahead is a half marathon (Bellingham Bay) and full marathon (possibly the Eugene Marathon who know’s maybe it’s too far out on the calendar and I’ll get impatient and find another race) I”m thinking I’ll be sporadically be adding 5k’s into the mix of my training…it keeps my competitive soul fueled…

So, you’re gonna see a new column to the right side of my blog…I’ll be linking some runner’s blogs I frequent for inspiration. Don’t get me wrong, this is the “Baby Lux Blog” and the majority of the time I will writing about ALL things “crafty”…but running is consuming me at the moment (yay, I’m running pain free!) and I’d feel a little lost if I couldn’t share it all with you.

P.S. I’ll save the details for a whole ‘nother post (I think it’s a pretty neat story)…but below is a snapshot of my feet this morning…yes, I’m eating humble pie for my “I’ll never be caught in a pair of Vibram Five Fingers” comment I said awhile back.

Vibram Five Finger Sprints

And I have the Bikla’s for running on order (they’re back ordered) prolly won’t be here till the 21st. My thoughts on them soon.

Recipe:

• approximately 6ft of martha stewart twill tape ( used 3/4″ here) you can find Martha Stewart stuff at Joann’s, Walmart, or Michael’s Craft store…just to name a few- that lady’s everywhere these days!
• 6 clothesline pins…(these can be found at a $dollar store, or target, or any drug store)
• 6 polaroid pictures you like ( I used 6 of jacker pants as a wee bittle) and….
• 2 push tacks

= Cute (inexpensive) wall art for my studio

Now onto the international art swap…yesterday morning over a cup of coffee I signed up for an International Craft Swap hosted by Paper & Clouds and Me and My 2 Guys! I encourage you to stop on by one of their crafty blogs and sign up for the fun…but do it sooner than later cause you must enter by August 8th to participate.

milk duds…(this is random I know) but remember my confession I shared with all of you about the love/hate relationship I share/d with Milk Duds?!? I’m perturbed to share I’m missing a tooth as I type this blog.

yep, missing a very expensive porcelain crown. well, I have the crown here next to me…in a ziploc baggie- wha? tmi?

I know, I know, I’ve said it a thousand times before, but that’s it I’m done. we’re through. finished. finito’!

you HEAR me Mr. Milk Duds???

DONE!!!!

Wish me luck, I’m going to the dentist Thursday…I despise going to the dentist.

I took advantage of the hub being gone on business this past week. I ate lots of easy veggie only meals and didn’t feel one bit of guilt for depriving someone of their “beef”…seriously do any of you women out there share my pain? I don’t know why I even bother to ask the hub what he wants to eat for dinner anymore…answer’s always…”Beef, please!”

Basically you could say I burnt the candle at both ends everyday trying to keep up with Jacker’s all day then burying myself in the studio organizing my stuff /painting and crafting till I was cross eyed…deliriously sauntering to bed at about 2 o’clock in the AM then was awakened (very) early in the morning by the rooster (Arlin Jack) who chirps “I gotta go potty Mama!” Oh, it’s fun to be a crafty Mama.

I actually got ALOT done, pretty happy about it. Here’s a lookie-lou…

organize…hang it, take charge.

Mrs. Piggy takes center stage up top

Title: ‘je taime

Collage painting; mixed paper and acrylic paints on canvas

up close detail.

my scratch…

I like this piece. Hub likes it even more.

*Running: Sunday I anxiously awaited the hub to get home, all geared up and stretched.  We exchanged a quick kiss ‘ello and I was out the door…”dinner’s in the fridge babe!” I don’t think I hit the road till about 7pm but it worked out perfectly the weather was cool and I got to see the most amazing sunset down by the Vashon Ferry. The sun tinged the top of the water and nearby boats a light shade of pink with the mountains in the back drop- I really don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. I ran 8.13 miles in 01:17 minutes average pace: 9:27 minute miles.