Been in a cooking mood--less eating out, more eating in.

I've been trying to make more dishes with beans.

Red beans with andouille sausage from Everyday Food.

Steamed lentils with spinach.

Kalbi style steak salad.

Butternut squash and mustard roasted chicken breast.

Farmer's market finds.

Roasted chicken with roasted apple onion fried rice.

Roasted vegetables . . . the best.

A quiet morning . . .

Prop styling?

One of the things I've enjoyed about this blog is getting a chance to post my "styled" photos of food, flowers, and plants.  I've been thinking lately how fun it would be to work as a prop stylist.  I'd love to style for catalogs and magazines.
I've also received feedback that a lot of my pictures make people feel peaceful.  I'm glad . . . I think I'm a pretty peaceful and calm person in general so it's nice that my photos and vignettes communicate this part of my personality.
Here are some quirky photos from two summers ago . . . it's not even spring but I'm already thinking about summer . . .  

Virtual Museum

Have you heard of the Google Art Project http://www.googleartproject.com/?  You can view art work from galleries around the world.  Thank you, Google!

The Santa Ana art walk

I went to the monthly Santa Ana art walk in the Artist's Village last weekend with some friends.  We walked around, looked at a loft for sale, I got to buy art from a local artist, and we ate dinner at Lola Gaspar's.  All in all it was a pleasant evening.

I really appreciate the art walk movement because it's such a great way to bring local communities and artists together.  I got to chat a bit with the artist who sold me his painting and got to tell him I how much I liked his work.  I've learned that we artists need to affirm one another . . . and support one another by actually buying art!  I've decided to start collecting, and I do have a small collection right now, but I'd like to make more room in my life and budget for art collecting.  That reminds me, I need to start selling my own work . . . 

I also bumped into the man who modeled for my life drawing class I took a few years ago in Costa Mesa.  It wasn't awkward at all--we had a nice chat.

Top piece by Dino Perez

I dedicate this post to all my pregnant friends

I'm going to be an aunt to many little babies in the spring and summer.  More and more of my friends are starting to have kids!  I can't wait until they can all start saying funny things.

One thing I find really cool is the opportunity to decorate nurseries once you start having kids (although I'm pretty sure that by kid #2 you're not as eager to exercise your creativity). 

My friend K who is extremely talented (she creates the best decorations for parties and makes her own cards) painted a mural for her baby boy with some leftover paint she had from another home project.  So creative!

My friend K hand painted the mural.

I also really loved this nursery featured in Covet Garden magazine for a little baby girl.  I fell in love with the ceiling installations!  Hmm, I could have something like that in my house . . .

Image from http://covetgarden.com/

The Art in Food

If you know me, you know that I love good food and I love to cook.  I don't however like to stick to recipes too much because personally I find measurements and specific directions too restraining which is why I'm not good at baking.  I do like the idea of recipes so I'm constantly flipping through cook books and clipping out things I want to try.  My best friend however is an expert in the kitchen and I'm amazed at the ways she can take recipes from Food and Wine or Bon Apetit and make complicated dishes at home!  She's also the best home pastry chef I know and has started a blog.

There's just something so artful about a piece of fruit, a platter of cheese, or fresh vegetables from the farmers market.  I love going to the store, finding what's in season, or something that looks especially fresh and creating something delicious to eat. 

Winter citrus: Satsuma Mandarins

Impromptu cheese platter with pears, chestnuts, persimmons, figs, tangerines, brie, and fontina

My fruit composition.  I'd love to paint some still lifes soon.

Pistachio macaron from Bouchon Bakery - so delicious but never in a million years would I have the patience to make something like this.