Barbara Pagani's Tresor Cache 101

After having to put down our 11 yr old, yellow Labrador Jack, last year I wasn't feeling up to getting another dog. The kids have been bugging me about it but I couldn't even think about it. Today my door bell rang and when I went to the door, there was a cute 2 month old puppy with a blue ribbon on his leash. He is really cute. So for today I am happy to see this little cutie but know that there is some work to do. Of course the kids are beyond themselves with this little baby blu. Date of birth Jan 31 2012 Race: Labrador , Yellow Male Weight on March 14, 2012: 4.4kg Week # 1 H Blu at 4 mos. He is way to heavy for me to carry but Sam still picks him up in her arms. Blu with his favorite toy "Dolores" We had to take it away as he managed to rip it pretty bad and was chewing the stuffing. I finally gave Dolores surgery and fixed her up and he was really happy. After this weekend he had managed to rip it apart again so it back to sur

One of my good friends gave me a piece of this starter years ago and literally I baked my head off. I think I had a piece of this starter cake for a couple of years until everyone I knew was fed up with it. It has been at least 15-20 years since then and just recently someone asked me if I had the recipe so here it is. This one is a keeper. Ingredients Yield   2 -8 or 9 inch loaf pans 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 fluid ounce warm water 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 cups all-purpose flour 3 cups milk 1 cup sourdough starter 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3 eggs 1 cup white sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup chopped walnuts Directions To Make Starter: Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 tablespoon white sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup of the flour, and 1 cup of the milk in a non-met

It is spring here and with all the warm weather last couple of weeks, I got all excited and of course over did the spring cleaning. I was like a maniac even thought my back was bothering me, it was like an addiction, I couldn't stop. I finally had a chance to bring all the plants in the dining room outdoors for a good cleaning but of course it didn't stop there. I had to take down all the curtains and wash them, do the windows and the screens. With all the spiders we have in this area, I have to do the windows at least 3 times a summer. Now my plants look very happy and clean. And believe it or not today it is snowing and freezing rain. Oh well, I can't wait for the warm weather to come back.....maybe not as warm as it was though.

Started with the airbrush using inks and Golden airbrush paints. Then I used inks on the outside of the plant to drip down and then started to add swirls to make it look like water. So this is where I am at on this painting....not sure I like where I am going with it but I will let it sit for a couple of days and eye ball it. Chuck says it looks like "Venus Flytrap" so I think this is what I will name it. I will be adding some Heavy Gloss gel on the outer edge of the flower and where the swirls or the water are and then I will highlight the texture when dry. New photos to follow when done. Okay I had this painting up for a while on the wall and I was really not liking it at all. The green was too green and after gessoing over it I decided that I didn't like the flower either so I removed most of the petals and landed up with this....I am not sure where I am going with it but I'll play around with it for a while. Update, it is now Nov and I have

I love chalk and chalk paint. We have 1 wall in the kitchen and a chalk board for notes. The kids love writing on them and it is also useful to post the groceries that are needed. Here are some really cute ideas that I have come across for future projects. This is a make over on an old ugly armoire which I use in my back porch to store garden accessories and jackets that are not in season. I have to admit it also contains a pile of clothing that I should have ironed many moons ago but the desire to iron has never arisen....so now it might be time to donate them to goodwill. Below is a shot of our chalk board in the kitchen with all the kids ramblings on it. This comes from Airele Alasko.....amazing what this girl can do with wood. Check out her other stuff:  http://brooklyntowest.blogspot.ca/p/about-me.html Here is a cute idea for Christmas via http://birchandbird.com/#

As usual I can't just paint something and leave it alone. I have decided to take pictures of the evolution some of my paintings. My eldest daughter is still made at me for painting over one of my paintings years ago but I just couldn't help myself. There is a drive in me to take the painting to another level and it is unstoppable. So having said that I am really loving the works of Flora Bowley and I can't wait for her book "Brave Intuitive painting- let go be bold and unfold" so this next painting has developed into what my interpretation of her work is. So moving forward, I will do the photos b/4 I go in and make changes to my paintings.  So here is the painting that has now been reworked several times. My process was keeping some of the original colors and shapes from the first painting and slowly removing parts that were too busy.  This is the final version....or so I think....we'll have to wait and see if it gets the final coat of v

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE 4 tablespoons flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 egg 3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) A small splash of vanilla extract 1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe) Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous)..  And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

W. H. Auden Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead, Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood. For nothing now can ever come to any good. Where There's a Will There's a Way - Eliza Cook WE have faith in old proverbs full surely,  For Wisdom has traced what they tell,  And Truth may be drawn up as purely  From them, as it may from "a well."  Let us question