Oatmeal-Cherry-Chocolate Cookies

Credit for this recipe must go to the sweet Kimberly Taylor of Kimberly Taylor Images. I discovered it via the online class "Creatively Made Home", the lovely Jeanne Oliver has outdone herself putting these classes together...I have been so inspired by everything I've seen there.

So here is my riff on Kimberly's awesome recipe....




First, take your own picture, because you are. that. girl. You are a goober-blogger-geek. Own it. Work it.





Gather your ingredients...unbleached flour, oats, salt, baking soda, flaxseed (grind it first)










(No grits in this cookie recipe...no lemon either...the grits sit there, and the lemon went in my water earlier...). Eggs, brown sugar, regular sugar, dried cherries, dark chocolate chips, vanilla, and walnuts...






Toast the walnuts and chop them super-fine...






Mix your dry ingredients ( salt, baking soda, flour and oats)




Cream your butter and sugar...





Toss your chocolate, walnuts, and dried cherries into your dry ingredients...then add your dry ingredients half at a time (mixing between...to avoid a flour explosion)






Hear your KitchenAid make that satisfying sound...working hard...





Get your scoop out, sistah. Go big or go home. No sissy cookies allowed.





I mean big...

Bake 'em at 350 for about 15 minutes...





Cool on wire racks, and serve these guilt free to your family. Walnuts? Superfood. Oats? Superfood. Flaxseed? Suuuupahfood, baybay. Cherries? Yeah.


Sugar? Evil in excess, a blessing in moderation. Try having one cookie, not three.





This is what happens when your preacher jacks your iPad and forces you to pose. And for the record, I am from East Tennessee...and what you have heard is true...we drink our corn from a jar.

Just kiddin'.

The recipe:

2C. Unbleached flour
2C. Oatmeal
1/4C. Ground flaxseed
1tsp. Baking soda
1/2tsp. Salt
1C. Softened butter
1C. Brown sugar
1/2C. Regular sugar
2 eggs
2tsp. Vanilla

Add dry ingredients to wet, then toss in:

1C. Chocolate chips
1/2C. Dried cherries
1/2C. Walnuts

Combine and bake.


All blog content is the property of the writer, including all "In the Middle" intellectual/visual art property...

A Peek At the Sketchbook

So that big, beautiful leather sketchbook I have? The one with the 140 lb. cold press watercolor, hand deckled paper?

It is getting pretty full. I am more than halfway into it. The sketchbook was a gift from my daughter Sarah and her husband Jonathan, and they just couldn't have known how wonderful a gift it was...I didn't know myself when I got it. All I knew is that it was a work of art all by itself. I didn't yet know it would be the most important tool in my arsenal, and a means of discovery and self expression unlike anything I had ever encountered before.

A sketchbook is to an artist what stretching and walking are to a jogger or runner. It warms you up. It leaves you with a history of ideas and color combinations and techniques attempted, and techniques mastered. And techniques epically botched.

You do have to overcome any anxiety about "messing up". You do have to understand that paper is the safe place TO mess up. You don't want to mess up a beautiful 20 x 20 deep edged hand stretched canvas. You want to make your mistakes on paper, in that art journal...or sketchbook...whatever you want to call it.
Today's art journaling:



I am still exploring the theme of "In The Middle"....celebrating the beauty of middle age, with my art.

Above, you see a background of three colors, acrylics, rolled on with a brayer. You want spotty coverage...it is part of the overall look I like to achieve. Then, I gesso'ed the general area I knew I wanted to place my girl.

As I am doing all this, I am pondering things I've read in Scripture, thinking of other women I know, and being grateful for my own, one beautiful life. I am hearing the Lord speak over me, and I have to choose to believe what it is He says about me...and believe it enough to put it down in the form of art...for all to see...and mock...or admire...or resonate with...or not.

Tough stuff, this being an artist. Baring my own soul in this way is far harder than using words alone.

After gesso'ing, I come in with pencil and do a general outline. I choose her hairstyle at this point. I decide if she will be a red head or a blonde or short hair or curly or straight. I even did a gorgeous silver haired girl recently...my sweet friend Nancy Lyke from south Florida was my inspiration.

Then I use a mix of acrylic and oil pastel to create skin tone. Acrylics first, always. Oil lays down over acrylic but not vice versa. Look back in previous pages of my art journal to see how I found out.

Then I use acrylics to create hair color...two colors, sometimes more. Then a water soluble pencil creates details and always my trademark hair out of place. My girls always have a lock of hair out of place...askew...like me. They do not have faces because they are the face of every woman I have ever known and cared about. "She" could be you...if you want her to be.

Lastly, I use pan pastels and charcoal to create depth and another pop of color.
Then, the message. Always, always words. Words are my first love and my art form. Without words, there are no images for me.

In the above journal two page spread, I wrote, "in her life, the energy of youth and the wisdom of old age met in the middle, and caused new things to spring up from her beautiful heart continually..." Then I added the heart and the butterflies...because the girl on the page wanted it to be so.

That is a peek and a walk-through of my process. None of it is perfect. It doesn't have to be.

It just has to be.

Being is enough. Being creates the doing. Grace plus nothing. You pretty much have to have the soul of an artist to understand.

New Vintage Jewelry Design Collections!

Finally, they are ready...and available in my shop...

The Aidyn Collection!

A mix of vintage and new elements, in a necklace, ring, and earrings...

hand painted details on the pendant and ring...with a gorgeous tassel

Next...

...the Kaitlyn Marie.

She's also a mix of vintage and new elements...necklace with vintage cameo, vintage cameo ring, and vintage earrings (that used to be elements in a 1940's bracelet)...

Next...

...and my favorite...the Lillian Collection.

A vintage, non working pocket watch, with beautiful elements also on the other side of it...truly, this is gorgeous on both sides.  With a real, antique crystal bracelet incorporated into the necklace...a glass bead vintage ring (used to be an earring) and earrings that compliment the entire collection.

I would be happy never to part with this collection!

There is more...much, much more.  Visit my shop to see...

Happy Christmas shopping!

New In The Shop

...the latest in my "Mercy In The Middle" She-Art series:

(click on image, to see it slightly enlarged...)

At the bottom, it says, "In her life, youth and old age met in the middle and clothed her with strength and honor..."

All around her (who is you, my beautiful middle-age friend) the hand written script says, "Strength and honor are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come..."

She is 10x20, gallery wrapped, rendered in Pan Pastels, acrylics, oil pastels, Marks-All pencils, and charcoal...in shades of lavender, cream, blue, and burnt umber...on a background of truly antique book and hymnal pages (versus digitally reproduced) and vintage wallpaper.

She is also trimmed in beautiful upholstery tacks, all around her edges.

She'll be priced at $175, shipping included to all lower 48 states. If you are out of the country (as several of my customers have been) just email me and I will see what shipping charges would be for your country.

A Little Instagram Love on My Birthday

I plan to assault you with random, unrelated Instagram shots today. I can hear what you are thinking, "Whaddya think this is? Your birthday?"





As a matter of fact...




It sure is. And look what the Lord has given me, already!




...and this...




Love that "Kelvin" effect on Instagram. It's my favorite.




I am literally sipping this, right now, hand delivered by my Pastor. He's caring like that.




Today is also my son-in-love's biggest art show of the year. There was a beautiful write up on him in the paper this week, as he is also FEATURED ARTIST in said large art show. That is an original Jonathan Howe hanging there. With my harvest wheat. And a wooden apple. And candle. And art calendar that features an artist quote and painting every day of the year. And if you've ever hurt me, real bad, you will never be able to have a J. Howe original. We're clannish like that.

Have regrets. Have deep regrets.

Actually, if you just say sorry, he'll paint one for you, too. Far be it from us to hold a grudge. We're friendly like that.




My living room walls are no longer harvest gold! They are the faintest whisper of fog/gray/blue/misty morning. I heart them. And the giant clock. And that houndstooth patterned mustard yellow throw covering my feet in the corner of this shot...



My bed, as it looks most mornings. I know, right? This keeps on getting more riveting with every wanton picture posted.





Slice of life, friends....slice of life. Why is this on my Instagram camera roll? Not entirely sure. I was probably artfully finding the beauty tucked away in the every day, and finding One Thousand Ways to give thanks.

(gratitude to Ann Voskamp for all the stupid pictures I have instagrammed all in the name of #onethousandgifts. Ann, you are my thousand-and-oneth gift. Can't wait for your DVD study!)




Speaking of gifts and gratitude...




He's already a Bible Thumper, just like his Pop Pop.




This was the little grin she saved just for Mimi, late last night. Babysitting this one is a joy...and a challenge...she literally will not let me out of her sight.




Enough about me...





What do you think about my hair?????


I love my birthday. My whole family spoils me rotten, and I am ready to head full tilt into all the festivities, which, from what I can smell, are about to include breakfast in bed.  (Post edit:  The Preacher was actually just making coffee...he took me out to breakfast, instead.  I had a breakfast panini with asiago cheese and egg and bacon.  And more coffee.  Amen.)

My pastor serves me well.

Vintage Jewelry Jackpot

Today, in between laundry, working an 8x8 canvas, a 5x5 canvas, buying candy for a Halloween outreach, and having lunch with a Certain Handsome Preacher, I finished almost four jewelry collections for my shop. I am so excited about these vintage pieces.

In the picture above, you are only seeing about a third of the haul I made this past weekend. I was told about an estate sale, and it turned out to be the Vintage Jewelry Jackpot. Seriously....there is so. much. more. I bought a lot. It was not cheap...but these pieces are gorgeous.

I have deconstructed all of it. Every bit. Friends...that took chutzpah on my part.

I ain't gonna lie, I was scared to take stuff apart. I redesigned the pieces to create my very first jewelry collection....actually, four new collections. Pieces of vintage bracelets have become rings. Brooches have become beautiful pendants. Watch faces that were broken will be embedded onto canvases as art. I've mixed vintage with new in everything...four different sets (so far) that, while not mitchy-matchy, go together so well.

One of history's top designers once said, "Matching is for amateurs", and I see the truth of that statement, the more I paint and create and design. To "match" is boring, and boring is the kiss of death. To haphazardly not match is just as bad.

But to purposefully and soulfully and imaginatively mix high and low, luxury and rustic, unexpected colors, prints and patterns, yin and yang...

....well, that is an art.

And mixed media must somehow truly be my heart and soul, as an artist (did I just now finally own that calling?) because I am mixing "medias" in my jewelry designs...gold and silver, crystals from chandeliers, pieces of leather, torn fabric trims, shiny with matte, old and new.

I have been thinking hard about the model I want to use, when I photograph these pieces. The Preacher wants to put me in a black turtleneck and jeans, and take the pictures himself. He thinks I would be the best model for my designs, but I have someone way younger and skinnier and cuter in mind. We'll see.

Can't wait to share these collections with you! I have truly poured my heart into them...I've worked so hard, all week, and there is so much more to be done before I can put them in the shop! I have to get pictures that do them justice. I also have to design the packaging for them...it must be vintagey, perfect, beautiful.

Hopefully, they will be available in a week or two...

A Gentle Encouragement...

Begin each day well...











Feed your spirit well. Feed your body well. Not necessarily in that order.

Country Living? Nah...

I say I live in the "suburbs"...and I do...in a declining, probably now a lower-middle-class neighborhood. And I live here with a precious grandson whose parents bought a house across the street from me. My other daughter, her husband, and baby girl live almost inner city.

Though my home is in a suburb, it is smack-dab in city limits. With a pawn shop and a liquor store and a Pilot gas station and a drug rehab center and a Strike N' Spare bowling alley, all within walking distance.

The other day, there were two attempted robberies in "my" grocery store. I was there for one of them. The manager confronted a really large, braless, belligerent black woman about some stolen items in her purse.

Three steps away from my Cracker, under 140 Pound Self.

She threatened the young male manager, also white, and smaller than (even) me. Then she bolted towards me. I literally ran away, pushing my buggy. She ran past me, only to be blocked by a few male employees, who tried to form a human enclosure, to contain her until police came. It was loud and scary.

Depressing stuff, I won't lie.

But then I read stuff like this.


(A wonderful blog post that will challenge your ideas about the sweet country farmhouse/Catholic school/private school/home school life you think you want to give your children...)

And like www.flowerpatchfarmgirl.blogspot.com and her entire October "31 Days of Going"  series.

This stuff will mess with you, if you read it. You might want to leave it alone.

On a bad day, I still want to go all Pioneer Woman, and move to the country, milk cows and live in benign seclusion.

But then I hear my neighbor's granddaughter, abandoned by her mother, living with her grandparents - my neighbors - and she is loudly singing in the yard under my window. Someone has to admire her 5 year old soprano, and show her the love of God. I sorta want the job.

Deep thoughts, here at the cottage. I am proud to be a NOT country blogger...a NOT wealthy, suburban grandmother...proving every day that I can be earthy and wise and eat from farm to table without property and livestock. And I can be politically aware, and don black sunglasses and carry a Michael Kors bag without living in a hip urban loft.

I am more like most of you. We can do this thing...we can live lovingly and compassionately and artistically right where we are. Right where we are, we can be a fragrance of Christ.

Daughters, Sons-in-Love, Sons, and Grandchildren

Jonathan, Sarah (one of my grown, married identical twin daughters), and Aidyn Esther....






Justin, our "other twin" Hannah, and the never-still Timothy Paul (The Preacher's namesake)...this picture says it all!





Hannah and Timothy. Oh, those two year old boy eyes!

The Preacher and I have known our share of heartache...we have sons who are "working on their testimony", and the stories about that...aside from the stress of ministry...would drop your jaw. How is it we are still friends and still in loving relationship with sons who have pulled what our boys have pulled? How is it we have managed to raise the bar (in terms of our Godly standards) instead of lower it, draw lines where lines should be, yet still exhibit grace? Still preserve relationships?

At great cost. By grace alone. Living by the law would be way easier. Like...way, way.

The Gospel. Living of the Gospel. That is how we do it. Our relationships with our children (and their spouses or Significant Others...and our grandchildren...and our friends) are infused and suffused with grace. Perfectly imperfect.

I am, like seriously, sloppy blessed. Still living a dream I have not earned and do not deserve.



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Of Jaunts and Junkets

The Preacher and I "slipped the surly bonds" of chores and counseling and obligation yesterday...we couldn't finish errands until the afternoon, so our jaunt lasted only for a few hours; we were back home working on mowing and church manuals and preparing for overnight guests by 7.

But guess what I found?







The most adorable vintage (circa 1960's) children's books...two of them, three dollars apiece, and in almost new condition. Every page with a winsome, beautifully rendered animal (in one) or an illustration of a nursery rhyme (in the other).

Even the lady at the cash register was jealous. I was firing off questions at The Preacher, as creative ideas tumbled out..."Is our flatbed scanner big enough to scan these pages? They are public domain, now!". "Will these images print on cold press watercolor paper, you think?"

She asked me what I was going to do with the books, and I explained how, as a mixed media artist, I intended to share these gorgeous children's books with the world, reincorporating them into art, while fully preserving the original books themselves.

She looked me in the eye, and said, "You totally just scored. I don't want to sell them to you, now. I want to do what you are describing. They are beautiful books, and your ideas are amazing. I wish I had thought of them."

Then she grinned and gave me her blessing.

Not that she had a choice. I was prepared to punch her in the neck, and run away, yelling brilliant artsy rhetorical flourishes at her as I exited the shop. Much like Grandma Moses might have done.

Never get between an artist and her muse.


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New In the Shop

New in my shop this afternoon...




I am venturing into a genre called "She Art", and I love it way more than I expected to. My intentions were to dabble, here and there...

...now, I want to create little other than "She Art". I am on a big, big She Art kick. Such an encouraging category.


This is an 8x8 print of the original I painted last week. The painting is entitled "Maria", and was inspired by a time of personal prayer over a friend. As I prayed, this is what came out...and I sensed that it was on target.

Don't we all need to hear encouragement to keep doing what we are doing, in spite of the difficulty and the pain?

This print is, as of today, beautifully framed in a simple, elegant, well made black frame. It is available for purchase in my shop.


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Bragging...

Look at how utterly, heart-squeezingly adorable. My little Aidyn Esther.

It rocks to be a grand mommy. It rocks to be me.

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Working...

Working ideas out in the art journal first. My favorites...the ones I'm really feelin'...will be done again on canvas.






I am feelin' today's results. This will definitely become a rather large canvas.

It says, "Strength and honor are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come..."

I preach the Good News to myself, through my painting.

Hospitality

Preparing to serve dinner to 13 people...leaders representing three churches.





Many thanks to my two daughters for beautifying our huge outdoor dining space...





It isn't 4th of July, I know, but this is the only bolt of fabric I have that is large enough. I love it.






...the fire is laid in the brick fire pit...

The guest room is fluffed and ready for our dear Pete Beck. God is so very good.

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W.E.L.L. Being (A Video Weblog Series)

Today's Art Journaling

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Morning...

Soft breezes...waxing sunlight, diffused by clouds and soft rain...birdsong...hot coffee..."October's meditative haze"...peace and plump fruitfulness...Bible reading...prayer...feeling nested.

My very heart nested this morning.




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Studio Addition

This evening, as I was working on a huge painting (the biggest one yet) The Preacher noticed that several inches of my canvas was hanging over the edge of my table...the piece covered my entire table, and then some.

And now, just a couple of hours later, I have a new, bigger top, firmly attached to the old tabletop...

...and painted with black chalkboard paint!





Love it! Not only is the tabletop able to accommodate the large canvas I was working on, but I have extra inches to sit my tubes of paint, the bowl I use for matte medium, and my jars of brushes and water.







Fun stuff.









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My Warped Sense of Humor...

Went with a friend to an exclusive art gallery in Atlanta...one that features several mixed media artists. It. Was. Heavenly.

For fun, on the way down my friend and I arranged to have this picture snapped, at a Georgia rest stop. I sent it to The Preacher's phone...with only the word, "Oops" :






That was my best "Oh no. I got busted in 'da hood" face. It was the best this homegirl could manage. The Preacher knew the pic was a hoax. He knew right away that I was messin' with him. He failed to see the humor. Me?

I howled, giggled, guffawed, and chuckled my way all the way on to Atlanta, where I commenced to having yet more fun.

This is how I deal with stress. Thank you, Georgia State Police Department, for cooperating with Operation Recover Sheila's Sanity.

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