Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving and Pizza

I can't believe another Thanksgiving is here, I still remember not feeling well and staying home last year. So like an idiot, last night I decided to get pizza for dinner and it didn't agree with me, which is starting to happen a lot lately. I had a nice hot from the pizzeria pizza and took some slices home, 2 slices on one plate and 1 slice on another plate on top of it.

I get home, feed my cats, list my auctions, and get ready to heat up a slice, when I see that the bottom of the top plate had stuck to the 2 slices on the lower plate. Apparently plates have a bit of a wax coating on them. So a lot of cheese and sauce was lost, which is a good thing as far as calories go. I don't think I'll be eating that third slice!

But alas, the pizza didn't agree with me and I ended up not feeling well, which annoyed me because I couldn't really enjoy the Criminal Minds and CSI: NY episodes as much with a churning stomach.

I feel a bit better today so it should all be OK.

I'd like to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

TBA from Zazzle


I just received an email from Jillian (great artist, see her works on eBay and Zazzle) saying that I won a TBA (Today's Best Award) for my 'Rat in a Hat' ACEO (shown above). The original drawing was done for NFAC and is still available on eBay.

I had gotten a TBA back in September and am thrilled to have another!

Have a great day and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Tequila Rose

Got a new bottle of Tequila Rose yesterday, thanks to mom treating me! Found it at Stew Leonard's Wines. I had never been there before, it is a nice store and fairly new. At the checkout I was even given two shot glasses with the tequila rose logo on them. I will definitely go back there.

I'm using the drink as a way to keep warmer in the winter months, one shot and I feel warm and it tastes great too. Had it a few years back when one of my neighbors let me try it.

Online there are lots of recipes I may try some over the winter months, especially a Pink Russian and Capt Crunch. I hope I can find the other ingredients in those little bottles because I can't afford the big ones.

Have a great Sunday, and if you are starting in on Thanksgiving cooking or baking, I hope it all comes out delicious!!!

Friday, November 20, 2009

November NFAC

It's November 20 and that means it's Nibblefest time! Nibblefest (NFAC) is a themed art contest on eBay. This month the theme is Holidays and I chose Christmas because it's coming soon. I am also listing another ACEO featuring a little kitten who's afraid of rats.



Hope everyone has a fun filled weekend!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

New ACEOs

I have finished up another gang of Rats ACEO, two of which are waiting for service at the bar. I'm sure everyone has been there at times, you're trying to get the bartender's attention and they just seem to skip over you. The other ACEO is a mouse looking up at the sky, very monotone.



Have some commission work to do today, but hoping I can get an ACEO done to list tonight too.

I designed another pair of Keds, these have laces and feature a rattie shoveling after a snow storm.

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is almost here already. Time sure flys.

Have a great day,

Sunday, November 15, 2009

A Sunday in November

Hello, another gloomy day in November here in good old NJ. Am getting ready to go draw while I listen to a book on tape. Will also be working on some commission work for some wonderful customers.

I updated my Zazzle shop this week with some winter and Christmas items, like cards and stamps. I will be adding to it quite a bit in the coming weeks.

Below are my newest ACEOs I have up on eBay, one featuring my mouse who I've named 'Ms Mousie' which fits her just fine. She is doing real well I'm happy to report.




I'm getting used to the Blogger update, used to be when you uploaded pictures it would put them at the beginning of the post, even if you uploaded them at the end of say the third paragraph. Now it puts them where you are in the post, so if I post them after the third paragraph, that's where they stay! A nice improvement.

Another update on the Pumpkin Banana Mousse Pie: it turns out that when you let it sit a few days so you are not sick of looking at it, it's pretty darn good! The recipe was in a Food Network magazine my mom had.

Am looking forward to seeing the Amazing Race tonight, anyone else watch it? I am just starting to get really into it.

Well, I'd better run off and get some work done. Thanks for reading this far!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

New Blog Look and the Pumpkin Banana Pie


Besides changing my look, I updated to a new blog version so I have to get used to a slightly new way of doing things. I hope you all like the new look. (Ran into a few problems, like I wanted this sentence above the pictures but can't figure out how to get it there!) 

Above are two of my newest ACEOs, a spaghetti eater and a leaf raker. I am full of ideas for fall, winter and Christmas rats. Sometimes I seem to have so many ideas I can't wait to do them all and other times I can stare at the paper and nothing will come to me. And yet other times I will draw a rat and have no clue what the background should be or what he is doing.  Those have to go on the back burner until inspiration strikes again. 

Me and mom did manage to make the Pumpkin Banana Mousse Pie and it turned out pretty good. It did however take a ton of bowls and pans and mixers to make it plus it's a lot of pie and neither one of us is much of a pie eater. Neither one of us is crazy about the idea of making it again for Thanksgiving so we may just buy one to bring to my brother and sister-in-law. So the question is, was it a good idea to do a test run or would it have been better to bake it the day before and hope it came out good? I guess we'll never know.



Friday, November 6, 2009

The Leaf Coat, The Night Sky and Pumpkin Banana Pie!



Two of my most recent ACEOs. A rattie is using a pretty fall leaf as a coat while a mouse prowls under a night sky.

Tomorrow I will be going by mom's to test run a banana pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, which will be at my brother and sister-in-laws. Saw the recipe in a magazine and thought it would be more interesting than just a plain pumpkin pie. But just in case it didn't turn out good I thought it would be a good idea to make one to taste test. I will keep you posted on how it turned out!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

ACEO Theme Week and More




Hello again, yes, this is my second post of the day. The theme this month is World Cultures or Countries. I had waited until the last minute so just went thru pictures my nephew had sent of Africa. I decided to draw his host family, in my rattie fashion of course.

The other three are ratties who just know that winter is coming and they will have to deal with cold, snow, hail, sleet and ice. On the fun side they will be able to go sledding, skating, skiing and all manner of fun winter activities. On the not so fun side it will mean shoveling, slipping, freezing and lots of grumbling.

I had another fall rat ready to list last night and at the last minute noticed that I forgot whiskers! Don't know how that happened, but I will add them today and he will be ready to list tonight, most likely before CSI.

Clicking on pictures will take you to the auction where you can read the story.

Hope you have an enjoyable day!

Happy Birthday Laura and ending auctions

Today is my nieces' birthday, so a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Laura!




I have two auctions ending tonight, one featuring a chipmunk, for which I used a ref photo from the talented Paul Lantz and the other a rattie with a pretty fall leaf.

Another week is coming to an end, where is this year going? I just remember being happy to see the crocus because warmer weather was coming and now it's almost winter again. Oh well, you can't stop Mother Nature.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

My Zazzle Binder Contest Entry



This is the binder that I entered into the Zazzle/Avery Recipe Binder contest. Originally I was trying to work my rats with food into the design, but I don't have them scanned in high enough res to take up the whole cover and a bunch of them looked busy. And of course I waited until the last minute so didn't have time to play around with it too much.

I tried to keep in clean and simple, so I drew my cutting board and knife in Freehand and spiffed it up in Photoshop. It even includes some of the more common equivalents on the cover. It was fun drawing on the computer again!

It is customizable to a degree, the writing on the spine can be changed and a change of background color will put that color in every other square.

Hope you have a great day!