“Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons.”  ~Al Hirschfeld

Gracie and I go through her room a couple times a year, and do a thorough cleaning. We usually find a half ton of broken crayons that we turn into these fun art crayons. It’s a great way to recycle, it’s a fun craft, and they also make a fun addition to a gift for children and adults alike.

To make-

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Chop crayons into pea size pieces. Fill muffin tins (or other cooking tins) about 1/4 full with crayon pieces. Bake 15 minutes, or just until melted. Shapes will pop out of tins easily when completely cool.

Have fun!

~Melissa

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Synopsis-

After Oceanic Air flight 815 tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific island, its survivors were forced to find inner strength they never knew they had in order to survive. But they discovered that the island holds many secrets, including the intense howls of a mysterious creature stalking the jungle, as well as a polar bear, a marooned and crazy French woman, a mystical boar, a mysterious group known only as “The Others,” a ship called The Black Rock and… a hatch.

As the days slowly turn into weeks, the survivors dig deeper in the many secrets of the island and then six of them manage to find their way home — but we soon learn that was the worst thing that could have happened…

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“If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance.”  ~Bern Williams

At the end of every summer I make a list of things I want to do next summer that we either didn’t get around to, or that we didn’t do enough of, when the warm weather was still upon us.

Last year we spent a lot of time at the Red Wing Aquatic Center. It’s a very nice, zero depth, swimming pool with water slides and umbrellas surrounding it. They keep it very clean, and honestly I prefer it to most Minnesota beaches. We did get to a beach in Prescott last summer which was pretty nice, and Gracie wants to go back, so that’s one of the things on our summer list.

We went canoeing down the Cannon River last summer and that was a lot of fun, so that’s on the list too. Jeff and Gracie want to go camping, so I suppose that will be on the list. I’m not really a fan of camping, but if there’s actual plumbing and running water near by I do okay. I love being outside, I just don’t really like the idea of sleeping with wild life that consider me prey. The last time we went camping there was a group of raccoons that started a fight in our campsite and I was convinced they were too busy fighting to notice our tent and that they were going to tear right through it. Little weirdos. But the smell of freshly brewed French Press (which we prefer to ‘cowboy coffee’ with oogie grounds floating in it…) and watching Jeff make our traditional camping breakfast (corned beef hash and eggs…) almost makes up for the mild peril of sleeping with one eye open all night. And now that we have real camping chairs we don’t have to sit in the dirt like losers. So that’s a plus.

One thing I would really like to do this summer is go on more picnics. We grill out almost every night in the summer, and I love it, but it’s not the same as packing a picnic. I want to get together with my grandparents and maybe go to the covered bridge park in Zumbrota for the day, armed with cold fried chicken and my grandpa Papa’s amazing potato salad. I also really like ’starlight’ or ’stargazing’ picnics. Wouldn’t it be fun to get a telescope and look for constellations while sipping a glass of wine? I have this wonderful old book called “Find the Constellations,” that I think we’ll take out to the deck with a picnic blanket, a bottle of vino,

a plaid thermos “Scotch Cooler”…  and have a stargazing picnic…

What are your favorite things to do in the summer? I’m making a list, and looking for ideas!

~Melissa

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“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”  ~Doug Larson

It would seem that the weather has taken a turn for the better! It’s been in the upper 40s all weekend. I know that’s ‘cold’ for my readers and friends who live in Texas, California, and Arizona, but it’s great for us Minnesotans who haven’t seen anything over 30 for the last 4 months! We can finally come out of hibernation.

Friday was soooo beautiful I decided to walk uptown Red Wing and return some books to the library. On my way home I got a loaf of fresh bread at our local bakery and the ingredients for bruschetta at the corner market.  As the church bells rang and the snow and icicles melted off the rooftops I thought to myself, “It doesn’t really matter what the calender says, Spring is here!”

On Saturday we went to see “Alice in Wonderland” in 3D at a theater in Apple Valley. Jeff, Gracie and I have been waiting patiently to see this film since word of it’s existence came out about a year ago. I have to say, even with all of the hype and personal HUGE expectations….I LOVED it. Johnny Depp is amazing. When he recited Jabberwocky I got goosebumps. The movie was BEAUTIFUL…and if you get the chance to see it in 3D on a ginormous screen, I think you should go for it. It is worth every penny.

After the movie we went to Milio’s Sub House for a late lunch. They use to be “Big Mike’s Super Subs.” When Jeff and I were first dating we frequented the one in Uptown Minneapolis. The new name has done nothing to diminish the amazing quality of these sandwiches. Yummy! A great value too…I think we paid about $15 for the three of us to have lunch.

We hit the local butcher shop, “Meatheads,” on our way back into town and got steaks to grill. I know a lot of you grill ALL winter (as you so openly expressed to me on face book….I know, I’m a wimp…I don’t enjoy getting dressed in 8 layers and moon boots so I can tromp out to my charcoal grill and cook meat. I lost my cave woman sensibilities somewhere along the way…you DO realize that cooking over anything other than charcoal is cheating and I could have you disqualified? hee hee) Who am I trying to kid? Jeff is the barbeque chef in our family. I usually just stand out there with a glass of wine to keep him company while he works his culinary magic

Today I finished crocheting Maddie’s sweater, Jeff and Gracie did some painting, and then we walked up to Liberty’s for dinner and shared a pizza. It was a good way to top off the weekend.

Did you do anything fun and/or exciting over the weekend?

~Melissa

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“I’m not a chef, and I never have been. And though I’ve cooked with some of the best-known chefs in the world, I’ve never had formal training, and I’ve never worked in a restaurant. None of which has gotten in the way of my mission to get people cooking simply, comfortably, and well.” ~Mark Bittman

I’ve always loved Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.” He is a culinary genius! I just recently discovered his book, “Kitchen Express,” and I have to say I’m in LOVE! EASY, fast, gourmet recipes written out like he’s writing informal recipe cards for friends. (And I kind of like pretending he did write out these recipes just for me…hee hee) All of the chapters are organized by season, and there are so many recipes that will be perfect for friends and family this upcoming spring and summer!

Happy cooking!

~Melissa

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My favorite songs on this CD are “Where I Stood,” “Warm Whispers,” and “Going North.” But they’re all good.

Happy Saturday,

Melissa

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One of the ways I get inspired is by watching beautiful movies. I am so excited to go see Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” in 3D at the IMAX this weekend! The previews and stills I’ve seen so far are gorgeous! (I’ve shared some below) Jeff and Gracie are excited too. I’ll write a review on Monday. All of Tim Burton’s movies are fantastic, but one of my very favorites is “Coraline.”

Baz Luhrmann movies, especially “Moulin Rouge,” are so pretty! Gotta love the soundtrack too. One of my favorites.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Amelie” is my number one favorite movie. I have watched it over and over and will never get sick of it. Also a beautiful soundtrack. The music always makes me think of spring rain.

Here is a list with pictures. Enjoy.

a great shot from “Coraline”

“Alice in Wonderland” I WANT THIS DRESS!

Love this. Look at those flowers!

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum

more Alice…

I think Johnny Depp will make the perfect Mad Hatter!

Moulin Rouge is so gorgeous…I love all the red, and twinkly lights…a beautiful ‘carnival’ feel…

Satine’s boudoir in the big elephant is my dream bedroom

and Ewan has the voice of an angel.

Amelie

the prettiest movie ever

The scenes of her as a little girl remind me of Gracie.

Have a great weekend and go see “Alice in Wonderland” so we can compare notes!

xo,

Melissa

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We had lunch at a cute little place called Bridget’s Cafe. The food was really good, and the service was great. I’ll definitely go back.

We went to a few cute little shops, but my favorite was the art gallery called Crossings. It’s located in this awesome old library called “Carnegie.”  I got Madeline these little, felted elf slippers for one of her birthday gifts. (I’ll post a picture of her wearing them sometime.) Check out the Crossings website…they have tons of upcoming art camps for kids, concerts, art receptions, yoga classes, and a unique gift shop…the list goes on and on. crossingsatcarnegie.com

Before I go, on a completely different note, don’t forget to watch “The Office” tonight! Pam and Jim are having their baby in an hour long special episode called ‘The Delivery’ at 8:00!  Jeff and I have been fans ever since the show first started. Can’t wait!

~Melissa

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Mud Pies and Other Recipes-A Cookbook for Dolls is one of my favorite children’s books and I thought of it a couple days ago when I was daydreaming about this upcoming summer. I just may whip up a batch of ‘Dollypops’ and ‘Stuffed Seashells’ when nobody’s watching.

Doll cookery is not a very exacting art. The time it takes to cook a casserole depends upon how long your dolls are able to sit at table without falling over. And if a recipe calls for a cupful of something, you can use a measuring cup or a buttercup. It doesn’t much matter. What does matter is that you select the best ingredients available, set a fine table, and serve with style.
STUFFED SEA SHELLS-
Scoop up a shovelful of sand that has just been licked by a wave. Pack this into the tiniest sea shells you can find . Sprinkle these with a pinch of dry sparkling sand and serve.
HOT DOGWOOD-
Pick a flower from a dogwood tree. Remove the petals and place them on a flat pan or rock. In each petal wrap a long green pine cone and secure with a toothpick. Broil in the sun.
FRIED WATER-
Melt one ice cube in a skillet by placing it in the sun. When melted, add 1 cup water and sauté slowly — until water is transparent. Serve small portions, because this dish is rich as well as mouth-watering.
DOLLYPOPS-
Pick a dandelion from the lawn carefully, so as not to disturb the fluff. Hand it to your doll and tell her to lick.

Love,

Melissa

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Today we’re trying something a little different at ChinDeep.com. I am honored to welcome a friend of mine and successful author, Rick DiBiasio as a guest blogger!

Here’s a brief description of his book:

The Affluent Artist is a bridge.
It’s designed to help the business guy embrace creativity, to release his inner genius. And; it’s designed to help the “artiste’” welcome abundance, to use money as another color on his palette.

Creative people CAN be financially successful. The Affluent Artist is designed to help teach you about money and success, no starving artists here. When you teach an artist to be good with money we call her something else: we call her a business owner, we call her an entrepreneur.

If you bring creativity to the table: YOU are an artist. You understand that if your job can be done by a computer or by someone in Asia; creativity is your only option. How Creative Could You Be if Money Wasn’t an Issue? It turns out, money is always an issue. Affluent Artists figure out how to do more than survive. Affluent Artists figure out how to thrive.

The Affluent Artist is about success habits, financial knowledge, business trends, selling more work and occasional fun. It can be personal, about my journey, and it can be about your journey too. The business world is a very different place than it used to be; The Affluent Artist is about finding a way to succeed in it together.

There’s a Creative Revolution going on, Grab a pitchfork!

When I asked Rick why he does what he does, and to share a little bit about his book, here’s what he had to say:

“I wrote the Affluent Artist because I was a bored stockbroker. Even though I’d been at it for 25 years, had worked on Wall Street and had a good career, I needed to write, if I didn’t get some stuff out on paper, I was going to melt. I always knew I would write; when the high school teachers went crazy over my stuff, when the college professors hated it, when my clients loved my newsletters. But a career as a writer? Get real! I knew something about business, had a knack for that too, so I followed the path of least resistance, I let people tell me that only Journalism and English majors got to write and most of them starved. No, starving wasn’t an option.

So, I did what any psychology and religious studies major has to do; I learned to sell and I got pretty good at it. I helped some people along the way too, like I said, I have a knack…

But there was a hole, an inner artist dying to come out, dying to come out even though I had the power ties, the Mercedes and the heart attack. Yup, I was going to show you I could do this business stuff if it killed me.

Then I started to write for real, write a book and everything changed. I grew my hair, started playing guitar and I quit looking at everyone I met as a prospect. I began to enjoy life and the people I was lucky enough to meet. My inner creative was taking over and guess what? I even enjoyed my day job more. The subject I picked was, in hindsight, no coincidence, I wrote about artists and creative people.

My experience with becoming an artist later in life has saved me, I’ve met hundreds of artists who’ve read my book, a book that helps them find their inner business person, a book that gives creative people permission to welcome money and abundance into their lives. I’ve learned that successful people have a lot in common, no matter how they’ve found their success, that good people, in general, can succeed and that I don’t have to be the Type A Wall Street guy to find fulfillment.

Can you merge business and creativity in your life? You might ought to, as my relatives would say, it’s going to be a difficult road for you, either way if you don’t. Welcome creativity and use your business sense together and we won’t call you an artist or a business person anymore. No, we’ll call you a wealthy entrepreneur.”

I highly recommend this book to everyone! There is sure to be something inside that will speak to you.

Visit his website at affluentartist.com

Thanks Rick!

~Melissa

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