Work In Progress Wednesday: National Bike Week

In honor of National Bike week and the weather FINALLY taking a turn for the better here in Michigan I thought I would work on a quick bike watercolor. My quick project is turning into more of a detailed and longer process than I originally planned. But on the upside I think if I can pull it off it will be quite pretty. I will post the final back here once I am finished messing with it :)

Weekly Roundup

It's been a hectic week around here but I did want to share a few things I managed to see around the web this week!

These gluten free tortillas look delicious and I have all the ingredients - I am dying to try them

I just made an appointment to get my hair professionally colored next week (it's been a while) I think I am going to go blonde - Reese Witherspoon for hair color inspo

Found this gorgeous bathroom on Pintrest and am in love with the stenciling - you can get the stencil here. Looking for a space and excuse to use it in my house, it's so elegant.

I am a total Doctor Who fangirl and as such love all things Whovian - and am loving this mug from Etsy seller JavaDrive.

                                

That's it for me this week have a fantabulous weekend!

Weekly Roundup

Here are a few of the things that I’ve enjoyed around the World Wide Web this week!

I am in love with this beautiful couch from Land of Nod - wish I had a craft room or a She Shed to put it in. 

These shoes in yellow, pricey but I hear that they are comfortable and durable enough to justify the cost. Maybe for my birthday.....

I have a fondness for books about Ernest Hemminway, I find him to be so fascinating and tragic at the same time. Me and countless other! Which is why there are so many wonderful book about the man. Here is the next one I am interested in reading.

Love Made By Hank bags, someday I will snag one, maybe this yellow one to match the yellow shoes :)

Have a sweet weekend!

Happy Cinco de Mayo Chicken Nachos

One of my kids’ favorite meals is chicken nachos. They like them pretty simple, with not a lot if fuss. 

To make I usually through a bunch of chicken breasts into the crock-pot with some salt, pepper, cumin, cilantro and garlic and let it cook while I clean the house or head off to work. Once it’s cooked I transfer to my stand mixer to shred. 

I think that the most important part of making great tasting, killer, simple nachos is making sure you have tasty chips and the perfect cheese to layer over the chips and chicken. I prefer to use Queso Cheese if I can find it at my local store. 



For my husband and I, I usually also add some beans (black or pinto), plus avocado and tomato for myself. 

How are you looking to celebrate for Cinco de Mayo this year? Making anything special?

Work in Progress Wednesday (WIP)

This Wednesday I am giving a sneak peak of my latest birch tree painting. 

You may have seen my previous birch tree paintings in my Etsy store done  in gray and black. Birch trees are my favorite tree and bring back a lot of great "up-north" Michigan childhood memories.

I thought it would be fun to take a more whimsical approach to the trees using bright pink, blue and green paints.

It's turning out better than I had hoped, and should be ready for Etsy this week.  Check back soon for a link to the completed painting.

What I'm Reading: May

We are almost mid-way through the year now (unbelievable) and it is time to check back in on those New Year Resolutions. I am doing well on some like getting my Etsy store back up and running, check. Re-starting the blog, check. Exercise and diet, mmmm we'll come back to that one another day. But the one I wanted to touch on today is reading more.

I love to read and I love all types of reading materials, However, I was starting to get into a reading rut. The same types of novels over and over. Don't get me wrong, they were enjoyable, but getting predictable and maybe a bit boring. So I decided to set a goal for myself to read 3 books a month (cutting down TV & Pintrest time). I set myself up to read 1 biography, 1 self-help, 1 classic book a month. It's a very BIG challenge for someone with a full time job, 2 kids, and lots of crafting hobbies!

So although I set up this bog goal for each month I decided that even if I only get through one book a month it's a big deal and deserve a gold star. Some months I make it through all 3 books and some I only do 2, but last month I only read parts of 3 different books. But I really focused on my Etsy store which took up a lot of time so I am giving myself a pass :)

 So what am I reading for the Month of May:

Biography: Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Classic: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Self-Help: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

                          

So there you have it - something to make me laugh, something to remind me of the past, and something to help me navigate my every day most important job. I think it's a pretty well rounded list for a month of reading.

I started all 3 books last month but haven't finished. I am definitely going to push to finish all 3 by end of May. I am enjoying them so far, just need to carve out some ME time, maybe on Mother's Day. Click the Sweet Things Design on Amazon page of this blog to see the May books as well as the rest of the books I've read so far this year. I will add additional books at the start of June.

Flower of the month: Lily of the Valley

May is here and with it comes the Lily of the Valley or the May Lily. I though it would be fun to start working on a flower of the month watercolor project starting with the May Lily.

I have a patch of these lovely delicate flowers on the shady side of my yard and enjoy seeing and smelling them when they come up every spring. And I thought could use my Lilies as reference… But they haven’t bloomed yet, maybe by the end of May they will be here.

Weird fact - did you know that Lily of the Valley are not really lilies, they are actually part of the asparagus family? The flower symbolizes modesty, chastity, purity, and signify the "return of happiness". That’s a lot of symbolism for such a tiny flower.

What type of flowers are you looking forward to seeing spring to life this May.