job continued

 Newest project: the champagne lady. I did not draw this one out,but I get to finish color coding and cutting out the over 5,000 pieces! more than a weeks worth of work.

Labeling and seperating the pieces. It's gonna be months and months til these pieces of paper will become an amazing work of art.

new job.

 So I started full time work at bogenreif stained glass studios in June...it has been interesting and fun and monotonous, but the final products are beautiful! This is just an idea I sketched out for a waterfall window.

 This is the my very first design that was actually turned into a window. It was fairly simple for this studio, but exciting to see my pencil design come to life!

 This window wasn't very big, but oh the little pieces it had! I got to practice my foiling skills as each piece needs to be lined in a copper tape so that the soder will stick the window together.

 Here's a close up of my workstation for the week.

 This is a piece of glass that actually came from the tiffany studios. it had actual waves in it and we used it to make the folds of a ladies dress.

 The giant 17'' dome is finally coming together...amazing! the bottom two pictures are of a redraw I did out of a clients drawing. I just had to make it possible to make out of glass.
The top drawing is mine and the bottom is the original.

End of summer Tomato pie

 I decided to use up the last of the fresh apples and tomatoes in an odd but delishious summer pie.

 pie crust, cream cheese, apple slices, onions,

 Green and red tomatoes, fresh rosemary,

 and sharp cheddar cheese!

 yum! it was tasty too. :)

And breath...

 So yes it has been months and months since I last posted. Oops.
A quick recap of life: 2 jobs, a boyfriend, and online college class, famers market, regular family life and regular summer busyness... and now it's autumn .....sigh.... I can breath again.

 It has been a wonderful busyness and I've enjoyed all the challenges and joys. One of my highlights has been my small cut flower enterprise for farmers market. God showed me a special glimpse of his love through these seemingly useless beauties.

 Seeing flowers that I planted from little tiny seeds produce big beautiful blossoms has been such a joy. I loved giving away the flowers that I didn't sell and the work of twice sometimes three times a week markets was so worth it.

 Now that the first frost has ended the season I am already plotting my flowers for next year.
Zinnias galore, globe amaranth, sunflowers, calendula, and sweet peas....????

Making cookies

Last lazy sunday afternoon we all wanted cookies, so in our sunday best and cute vintage aprons my niece and I got busy. 

 She didn't want me to put the chocolate chips into the cookies and cried as she saw them mixing into the dough "just wait til you eat them in the dough, don't worry you will get a taste" I soothed as the mixer spun on and we popped the inevitable spare chocolate chips into our mouths.

" dookties?" she repeated as we put the sweet chocolate flecked mounds on the cookie sheet.

 When the timer finally went off she raced into to kitchen yelling "Faye!! Dookties!!" I placed a little cookie onto a plate and warned her that is was hot as I mimicked blowing. She raced to get to her stool and started to eat the warm cookie the melted chocolate smudged on her face and hands.

"yum...is it good?" I asked. I got a mumbled answer as my little helper munched away on her sunday dooktie.

Meeting a new person

Hello there, little one.

On February 7th at 11:38 PM my new little niece was born.

I love being an aunt, and I can't wait to spoil and play with another adorable little girl.

 She weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz (but she feels tiny!). she is a pretty good new born sleeping most of the time and crying occasionally. Mostly we just hold her and stare as her mouth moves.

For your information I did not pinch her! even her crying is adorable.  it is nice to just be the aunt and not the mom and be able to return her after a time.

Still getting in some special Audrey time. Life will never be the same from now on and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Prairie Queen

Okay so I know this is probably past due but a few introductions are in order: New job meet my blog, Blog meet my new job.

I have been working at the Prairie Queen bakery since November, but I am finally feeling moderately comfortable there.( I like the name, though most people smirk when I tell them where I work;
I think it kinda rolls of the tongue don't you?) I like this job because it feels very flexible . I don't have to feel guilty taking a weekend off because my job isn't very specialized and three other girls could easily take my place. I feel like I could leave if I needed to ,but for now it gives me needed income.

The turnover (I prefer the apple ones :) oh wait... wrong kind of turnover) here is high ,so I am always meeting new coworkers which has it's blessings and trials.
It's fun to get to know the customers and their likes and dislikes; one pancake/no butter lots of syrup, a diet coke, one cinnamon roll warmed up with butter and a fork and knife, Hot tea extra hot. Everybody has their little quirks and soft spots. The saying is true here " you learn something new everyday".

My future is always going to be uncertain, so I am trying and praying so hard to live in the present to enjoy what I have instead of yearning for something else. This job has given me the opportunity to trust and to be vulnerable and to be overwhelmed and nervous and just do something even though I am scared down to my boots. I think no matter what type of job you start the beginning is always hard . Being that person that knows so little who is striving to learn fast and be useful I have such compassion for all the new employees. So.... if you're ever in the area you should stop by! I love seeing a familiar face; fill up a mug with fresh coffee and sit and enjoy a great apple fritter on me. You will get a royal welcome at the Prairie Queen bakery and restaurant. ( at least from me :)

It is what it is

 Sometimes I need to stop worrying about what my life isn't and appreciate what it is.
All the different little insignificant moments (seemingly) all the tears over stupid stuff and deep horrible stuff and the projects never finished.
I am thankful for the relationships I have .
For the love and comradeship of a large family.
For the handful of really tried and true friends who stick by me no matter what.

 It all goes together to make me (even though half the time I'm not really sure who I am!)
 God is continually shaping and molding me.
He is putting new and good desires in me.
And I will fail and dreams will fade,but I will have what matters
I will have what has stood the fire. ( rain, sunshine, snow, LIFE)

All these deep insightful words and all I was going to show you was a little arrangement I put together on my wall. A little painting there a lonely knitted glove there just a reminder to be grateful for the little beauties.

Quiet as....winter.

I can't be still...does this ever happen to you?

I wrestle with the thoughts going through my mind but I can't win.

     I need to stop...and be still. but I don't want to try to stop my mind.

 My God shall provide all of my needs.....all is asleep, frozen, resting and waiting.
except me. I need to get things done ,but there is always more to do my list never gets smaller and deep down I don't want it to. I want to stay busy so I never have to think... I can just do.
I'm like a little kid who is so tired ,but so determined to stay awake.

My God shall provide all of your needs...all...He will provide....your needs....Stop and listen to the quiet, still, crystal clear winter. Be still my soul and know....and know He is God.... sigh.... He is God and I am not.

taste the color

Sometimes partly unwhittingly I arrange food on my plate to balance colors.

 In this month of January I am missing the color green, bright vibrant spinich or kale or maybe some tasty arugula (Somehow frozen peas just don't cut it anymore).  One of my nightmares is waking up one day colorblind. ( by the way this meal also matched my new place mats from christmas..Bonus!)

This is the menu: homemade squash muffins that I loosely based off a recipe (they were okay), made into a ham and egg sandwich.

left over cooked carrots and mushrooms with some avocado added for GREEN.

beautiful juicy oranges ( I think these have helped keep me healthy this winter, and they are so tasty)

                                                                 
                                                                  Hey look it's RED.

My tradition since childhood is pancakes on sunday morning,but last sunday I woke up too late to make them before church because I had to make a salad for our sunday dinner and I missed them...my sunday seemed somehow short-sheeted.
So I made them Tuesday instead, life can now go back to it's regular scheduled program.. yummm... not very colorful but early in the morning my vision is blurry anyway and I can take an uncolorful breakfast better than an uncolorful lunch.

It's a beautiful winter and all I give you to look at is food and this funny face... sorry you have to get your own fill of the winter wonderland outside. Happy Thursday almost Friday.

favorite posts of 2012

Here are a few of my favorite posts of 2012 in no particular order:

feeling the blues...

Look I painted....

caramel apple cake

And I baked.......

Farm Auction

I went to look and chat with the neighbors......

 Food!

 Cooked, baked and ate more food.....

Apple strudel

Painted a memory from Austria.... and you can read a little about that trip Here
(And I grew edible button mushrooms, it was so exciting to see the little guys grow and be able to eat them!)
It's fun to see snapshots of my year , 2012 you have been a full and good year I'm praying 2013 will be full of joy, exploration and creativity as well.

mushrooms...yes mushrooms.