Gimme Shelter

In December I was invited to donate some work to a women's shelter in Pontiac.  I was given the assignment to create a fun garden scene in the narrow hallway leading back to the laundry area, using a retro 60's feel. Painting in a hallway being used by trades coming in and out was a bit of a challenge, but I love how it all turned out! Check out my photos here and the finished project complete with new carpet and ceiling tile at the designer's site at Enchanted Makeovers  .   Just scroll down to find the Cottage Lane make-over, click on the photo and watch the slide show at the top of the page. Terry did a wonderful job coordinating so many diffeent artists and others to create such a homey and welcoming shelter for healing the wounded souls of women.  Thanks Terry for including me in this wonderful project.

Newsflash!!!

Click here to see the March 1 2009 article

in the Detroit Free Press about this project !

Tropical Library

Formerly a bedroom, this is a great idea for when your nest empties out, and you need a place to call your own, but still need a bedroom occasionally.  It's a tropical themed library, outfitted with a comfy chair and a half/fold out bed and large ottoman plus a small dresser and book case for overnight guests. What a great place to relax and read.  

 A Nursery Retreat

I love this idea!  This turned out to be a serene place to care for a newborn.  Painted in soft greens, I was asked to paint a willow tree in the corner that the rocker will go.  I can just imagine how fast that baby will quiet sitting under this softly painted tree.

This Month's Recipe:

Pork Chops with Apples and Beer

For this recipe, I combined two different recipes and loved how it turned out.  The chops have a great flavor and are nice and moist.  The beer and apples combine to create a great accompaniment. Serves two.

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard- approximately
4 (1/2 " thick) boneless pork chops (or just two if they are thick ones)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 medium onions thinly sliced
2 medium sized tart apples, pared cored and sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
about 1/2 to 3/4 can (12 oz ) beer (you know what to do with the rest)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste

Combine the first three ingredients. Spread mustard evenly on both sides of the chops and sprinkle with the salt mixture. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chops in flour. Cook chops in hot oil in a large skillet over medium high heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until browned evenly.  Remove from pan and set aside, keep warm.

In the same skillet, melt the butter and add the onion, apple and garlic. Saute over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions and apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in beer and brown sugar until well combined.  Add pork chops along with any juices that have accumulated on platter.  Spoon beer mixture over chops and simmer about 10 minutes, or until chops are cooked through.  Remove chops, onions and apples with slotted spoon to serving platter. Continue to cook remaining juices in skillet until somewhat thickened and spoon over pork chops. Yum!!!

The best way to print off the recipe, if you'd like to, is to copy and paste the recipe only onto a new document in 'Word Pad', then print it.  You can also then make the font different, larger, or whatever you need to do to it, for your filing system.

  Additional Services

Did you know that I am available for consultations and other types of work besides murals and faux finishes?  Below is a list of some of the other things I do on request. Contact me for pricing information on any of these services.

Interior Design, space planning, color consult,
Furniture rearrangement, staging
Kitchen and bath design
Straight painting, including color and paint selection
Wallcovering removal
Garden Design and Garden Coaching

Quote of the Month:

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something

and that this thing must be attained."
~ Marie Curie
–

I love quotes and have a huge collection of those that have real meaning for me as this one does.  One of my favorite things to do is to include them in my fine art projects, in a collage, or as part of a painting.  It's amazing how just the right words at the right time, and in the right place can make all the difference.

That's all the news for now- I hope you enjoyed my little Newsletter- You can subscribe for free below, (unsubscribe at any time).  I only send out one mailing a month, I know how it is to have to go through all those e-mails every day.

See you on the Web!

Finish of the Month:

What a fun look!  The above sample has a combination of light squares over a darker stippled background with a simple scattering of daisies across the field.  I can see this pattern done in fun colors for a girl's room, or even in a kitchen.  This one was done in a bathroom for a woman with very limited vision.  A bold graphic pattern was just what she needed to make her smile!

Stippling is a very soft overall effect that lends itself to many different looks depending on the colors used, masking techniques,and layering.

  Want to see the pictures larger?   Click on the smaller pictures to view them  in another window to see more of the detail.

  Winter Special!!!

Since everyone likes a bargain, I'm offering a 10% discount on any new project scheduled before March 21, 2009.  Spring will be here before we know it, and winter will be over, so don't delay getting your project underway.

Fine art makes a very special gift! Home portraits, pet portraits, or perhaps something from my gallery  can be a very memorable gift for a very special someone.

The painting above was inspired by a trip to the Upper Peninsula last fall- a very memorable trip!

Quicklinks:

In the Garden

Contact Me

Recipe web site

I'm working on setting up an on-line recipe book with lots of great recipes, some invented here in my kitchen,  some family favorites, and some that I've collected through the years.  I love to try new recipes even though I really don't cook much.  If you have any that you'd like to contribute, just let me know.

Want to see previous "What's New" pages?  Click on the word 'Archives' above to find all the previous pages.