Featured Artist… Kim Van Der Hoek!

Quiet Day at the Cove by Kim VanDerHoek – [Image]

Kim has a fabulous loose style. I love the bits of white canvas peeking through… there is a lot going on in this painting, yet it’s fresh and not at all tight. I’m not usually a fan of beach paintings, but this one is nice. Lots going on… love the life guard stand, and those fabulous palms. Great painting!

Check out her Workshops and her Blog…!

Read a blip about Kim from her website, (read more by clicking HERE):

“It is my hope that when you view my painting from across the room you can easily see what the subject is, then, upon closer inspection, you find yourself lost in the brushwork.”

After graduating with a fine arts degree in illustration from the California College of the Arts in Oakland California Kim worked as a graphic designer for 11 years. She left the design field to begin a new venture, motherhood. Needing a creative outlet after her son was born Kim began painting. Today she paints in the studio as well as en plein air (painting outdoors).

She began painting en plein air because it combined her love of being outside and creating art. “I enjoy the challenges plein air painting poses. Dealing with the weather, changing light and the other hurdles of outdoor painting has forced me to learn to make decisions quickly, to paint with commitment and above all, to have a plan for each painting.” Kim feels that her plein air work has, in turn, strengthened her studio paintings.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Chicken Coops & How To Raise Chickens – THE Hot New Thing…

Briar Extended Chicken Coop and Run / Image: Williams-Sonoma

Who knew that raising chickens would be the hot new thing? Well, it is. First you need to check to see if it’s OK to raise chickens where you live. If it is… they say before the chicken OR the egg is the COOP! You know raising chickens is the hot trend if Williams-Sonoma is now selling the coops! These are sweet. I would love this green one. Throw a chicken in it and it’s a deal breaker… the fear of having my hand pecked for reaching in to steal an egg is more than I would bargain for… (do you know a healthy chicken will lay one egg a day?) – I think I found us a retirement job! Fred wants chickens. I don’t… BUT, I want Fred to be happy so we can get a cool coop, he can have his chickens (away from the house) and I will put them in pretty cartons and sell them!

This one is cool for whoever has to be the one to go get the eggs… you don’t even have to bend down!

And even Moser Design Group (who comes up with many of those awesome house plans I feature) has a chicken coop. HOT I’m telling ya!

{Image: from Moser Design Group Facebook, who received their image from Carlton Landing folks from Eufaula, OK}

I found a cool bit of info from Williams-Sonoma: Learn more about coops, chickens and the benefits of farm-fresh eggs!

Whew, I’m glad we found something to do when we retire. I’m pumped! Lots to think about, hee hee… Gotta run, I have big plans to make!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Bless the lobstermen and women! Hard work for sure!

I love snapping photos of everyday things… this photo was taken in Camden, Maine. One of the workers left his gloves on the wheel. It struck me how these men and women are such hard workers. Lobstering is hard work. I’m not expert, but I’ve watched Lobster Wars (ha ha, loved that show!) so I see what it takes. I’ve read stories, and I’ve heard from people who do this for a living, who’s families have done it for generation after generation.

Hard. Work.

When you realize what it takes to bring the lobsters back to land so that we can enjoy them it makes you never want to eek out a peep about the price. Ever. It’s worth every penny! Oh, those scrambled eggs with cheese and lobster at the Island Inn on Monhegan are sounding pretty tasty about now!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

The not tough dog toy that stood the test of time… kinda!

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make you so happy… Our niece bought Charlie some dog toys for Christmas. He. Loved. Them. We don’t buy him toys because he destroys them in ten minutes. We make one exception… Christmas. We buy him a toy and he loves it more than anything for a full ten minutes and then it is destroyed beyond belief. Lindsey bought tough-destroy-resistant toys. Nearly indestructible ones, for a normal dog. Ten minutes and *BAM* missing leg… ten minutes on the other and *BAM* missing ear… then the not-tough toy, the braided blue/green/white toy. Now THIS is the not tough dog toy that stood the test of time… kinda… I guess the term “time” is relative. For some it may be years, others months, some weeks, and a few… a day. He pulled the fuzz.. he tossed it around, he chased after it… whoa, this is the one that’s going to last! I re-wrapped it for Christmas day and he had a blast ALL DAY… the stuffing was gone, but he was good about not swallowing it. He would finish by UNBRAIDING the three pieces… and there they were… three individual pieces… which I would braid again, tie in a knot and give back… that lasted until Christmas night when there wasn’t much left to braid. So I traded him for a cookie. He was good with it. I think he was pooped! This will become a Christmas tradition! Hope you all had a nice holiday!

Thanks Lindsey!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Sorry, just couldn’t resist… the beast is BACK!

Sorry, I just couldn’t resist… Charlie the wonder dog is back! After he had eaten a 2″ section of a new blanket, he didn’t eat for two days… we tried rice, chicken, tuna, even cheese, his favorite… he ate a little of each and then absolutely nothing. We took him to the vet worried that something was lodged in him SOMEWHERE… low and behold, once we got there he appeared to be fine (next time he’s getting a car ride first!), he ate 3+++ treats, had x-rays taken, wanted more treats, got a shot in case it was nausea causing the no-eating episode… nope, wasn’t nausea, from the moment he got home he ate, then ate some more, had his homemade peanut butter/flaxseed/oatmeal/pumpkin cookies, carrots, frozen green beans… the next day (after the shot wore off) he still wanted more food, and more… and more…

So here’s where we’re at… the beast eats blanket. Fred says NO! I say NO! Fred swats ottoman (that he drug the blanket up on), then I ignored him for a while (not easy for me)… that was it. HIS FEELINGS WERE HURT! The vet laughed. She said he’s smart. Too smart. So be careful!

Oh Charlie… that $117 vet bill comes out of your chewy budget! But we’re happy to say, our beast is back! Rowdy as ever! Life is good if you’re Charlie

Catch you back here tomorrow!

To do in Charleston… CHARLESTON TEA PLANTATION!

OK, I’ve lived in Charleston for over 23 years now and I just made it to the Charleston Tea Plantation a few months ago! It was a wonderful place to visit! We visited during our staycation this summer. The grounds are stunning. You can watch things happening… all in our little Charleston! Literally a few minutes away, Charleston Tea Plantation is located right off Maybank Hwy on Wadmalaw Island. Visiting a tea plantation doesn’t seem like such a big deal until you realize that Charleston Tea Plantation/American Classic is the only place in North America that produces black tea commercially. It’s fascinating AND bonus… you can sample all the teas… and they have a wonderful gift shop!

This was one of my treasures from the gift shop… that and the peach flavored tea, a favorite in the summer for iced tea. You can buy this tea at some grocery stores under the AMERICAN CLASSIC name!

Look at these gorgeous old oak trees, they are all over the places. I wonder to myself… where are all the artists?? What a great place to paint! This is one place to bring a camera, that’s for sure! Lighting isn’t great, it was mid day and very hot, but you get the idea… those trees are gigantic!

Tea plants everywhere… more on the process in a future post, it’s so interesting!

From The Charleston Tea Plantation’s website:

ABOUT US

The Charleston Tea Plantation is located on historic Wadmalaw Island in the heart of the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The history of the Island dates back to mid-June of 1666 when it is believed that Captain Robert Sanford and the crew of the Berkeley Bay landed on the shores of what is now known as Rockville, South Carolina. On June 23, 1666, he and his crew claimed the land for England and the Lords Proprietors. Today, Wadmalaw is considered to be one of Charleston’s most unspoiled islands. It is approximately 10 miles long and 6 miles wide. The Island’s only connection to the mainland is a bridge that crosses over Church Creek.

Home to The Charleston Tea Plantation, Wadmalaw provides the perfect environment for propagating tea. With its sandy soils, sub-tropical climate and average rainfall of 52 inches per year, Wadmalaw possess idyllic conditions for the Camellia Sinensis plant. This plant is currently used to produce both black and green teas and exists in over 320 varieties on the 127 acre grounds of the Charleston Tea Plantation.

The Plantation sits right off Maybank Highway. Driving down Maybank is like taking a step back in time. Wadmalaw has not and cannot be commercially developed, therefore much of the land remains untouched. The Island is also home to other unique and historic attractions such as Irvin-House Vineyards, the only domestic winery in Charleston, South Carolina as well as theAngel Oak, a Live Oak tree that is believed to be over 1,500 years old.

Open 7 days a week, with the exception of a few holidays, the Charleston Tea Plantation is the perfect place to take a day trip. Bring the family, pack a lunch and enjoy the beauty of the tea fields. The experience is not only educational but more importantly one-of-a-kind. You will learn first-hand how tea is made during an informative Factory Tour. You can also take an enjoyable Trolley Ride through the tea fields, shop our unique Plantation Gift Shop and help yourself to all of the iced American Classic Tea you can drink.

Please feel free to call us for more information or questions-843-559-0383.

Another bonus!  If you aren’t in the area, check out their online gift shop (photo above) – NEAT stuff I’m telling you!

Hey, I think it’s tea time! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Photo: Ahhh, the way life should be! Relax and enjoy!

Now don’t you think this is the way life should be? Like a nice summer vacation. Where there is time for sitting and reading, or sitting by the river and watching all there is to see (it can be more entertaining than television, that’s for sure!). My parents live on the St. Clair River in Algonac, MI… the views are amazing… the sunsets are out of this world! My dad made these adirondack chairs, they have nice fluffy cushions, and it makes a great place to sit.

Wouldn’t you like to be sitting in that chair right now? Me too! These chairs remind me of the Island Inn on Monhegan (Maine). Nothing like sitting and reading or watching the water!

Monhegan Island, Maine – Island Inn Adirondack chairs… Fred reading while he waits for me… 

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Italian Cypress Trees = Dramatic Photo

Dramatic, eh? Photo taken while walking around downtown (Charleston, SC)…

I need to get up and go take photos early or late in the day… this was more around noon judging by the bright light, but you can still see what a cool place Charleston, SC is… everywhere you look there is a photo to be taken! If you are affected by heat, come in the winter! That’s when I really love Charleston! I wonder how many artists have painted this scene?

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Photo: Owls Head Lighthouse… Maine!

Several years ago we went to the Owls Head Lighthouse, what a neat place. That dead tree to the right of the stairs added such character to the place. And… have you ever seen a bluer sky?

A treasure that we found in Owls Head is the Owls Head General Store. If you’re in that area, check it out, GREAT food (haddock melts, hamburgers, and more!), and it’s like coming home to family. They’re the nicest group of people ever!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

BBQ and hotdogs… what could be better?

The Great Organic Uncured Hot Dog by… APPLEGATE! Let me tell you… this is one AWESOME hotdog… full of flavor, less fat because it’s made with grass fed beef (and NO it doesn’t taste “light”)! You’ve got to try it!

Now here’s a hotdog that is waaaay tasty AND not so bad for you… no evil nitrates, not as much fat, thanks to the grass fed beef. Owie! I can’t wait for Fred to throw a few on the grill! Also… they freeze well! So you can just pop a few out instead of eating the entire package at once!

From the Applegate website:

The Great Organic Beef Hot Dog

Made from 100% organic grass-fed and finished beef, these lean hot dogs are bursting with old-fashioned classic hot dog flavor—juicy, flavorful and delicious! These dogs have only 8 grams of fat compared to the average 15 grams in most brands, and because they’re made from grass-fed beef, they’re also high in omega-3 fatty acids (the good fat). Great on the grill or steamed on your stovetop any time you’re craving a taste of summer.

Men’s Health – 2011Woman’s Day – 2011 Cottage Living – 2008

Kiwi Magazine – 2008Men’s Health – 2008Consumer Reports – 2007

This is a great tasting hotdog that makes you feel like you’ve fallen off the eating healthy wagon!

Catch you back here tomorrow!