New Painting - Asha - First Session

I have been wanting to paint this picture of my friends' cat for a while now.  She's looking out the window and I just love the light!  This is after the first session, about 3 hours. 

Painting for Friend

I finished this painting of my friends' baby last spring.  I love her yellow dress against the purple rocks.  I had no idea how difficult this one would be, but I think it turned out pretty well in the end!

Painting in Progress

I am currently working on this painting.  It's from a pair of shoes I purchased on impulse from Ma Petite Shoe in Hampden a few years ago.  I love the little metal touches on these shoes and have always liked that they're both leather and suede.  I like that the angle of this one is a little different.  Some people are confused by this shoe and I think that's interesting.

New Painting Finished

Painting class started up again last month and I am working on another shoe series.  These will be 8"x10".  I finished this one last night.  I love painting these Fluevogs.  The red trim really looks great against the blue shoes.  I really love painting the inside of shoes as well. 

2012 Albums

We're a little over halfway through 2012 and it's been a great year for new releases! Here's a list of albums bought by our household this year.

Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

We just bought this, and haven't given it a heavy listen, but so far, it's really good. He used to work with Outkast. The language is a little strong, but that doesn't bother me. Just a heads up in case that bothers you.

Walkmen - Heaven

It still confounds me this band is not more popular. They have been recording consistently great albums for over a decade. This is one of their better efforts. A nice Saturday afternoon album.

The Men - Open Your Heart

A nice rock album. I love strong guitar music!

Santigold - Master of My Make Believe

This sophomore effort from Santigold isn't as pop sounding as her first, but it's still a great album. Great for summer afternoons.

Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

Listening to Leonard Cohen always makes me want to watch Natural Born Killers, but I'm afraid it will look too dated now (like 12 Monkeys). Another great album from a great artist.

Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror

No band out there sounds quite like Sleigh Bells.

Jack White - Blunderbuss

I was not a big White Stripes fan. In fact, I think Meg White is the worst drummer ever. I was skeptical of this album, but when my husband brought it home, we couldn't stop listening to it. Maybe he was meant to be a solo artist.

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

I don't know why her titles have to be so long, but who cares when she keeps recording albums this good. I became slightly addicted to the song "Hot Knife" and listened to it about 15 times one day.

Dr. John - Locked Down

The most surprising album of the year thus far is this one from Dr. John. I cannot say I was ever a big fan of his music, but always liked his interesting voice. This was a collaboration with Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, and it's great. Give it a chance.

Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls

Simply the perfect summer album.

Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

My favorite album of the year so far. I don't think another is going to be able to top it. We had to hide it downstairs so we didn't totally destroy it. They're great live too.

Slacker

I have been a blog post slacker recently (as in for the past year and a half). Sorry about that, readers! I'm finally finished with my crazy spring race schedule and am gearing up for another long summer of marathon training. This means that all of my fun baking and cooking time has been reduced! I'm trying to find my motivation to post here more regularly.

Racing Progress

Well, I am mid "I went crazy signing up for races this spring", and so far, have been fairing just okay. I decided this was the year I tried to get a little faster. I am a little faster, but not quite where I want to be. I'm trying for a 2:15:00 half marathon (still with the penguins, but that's okay). I missed it the first try by 10 minutes. I did run a great 10 mile race over the weekend, clocking in at 1:48, and I have two more tries.

Until then, I shall keep running!

Running in cute clothes helps.

Shoe Paintings Complete!

I completed the paintings for the "A Walk in My Shoes" exhibit last week. I think they came out looking pretty great. I'm keeping the "High School Shoes" and pricing the rest to sell. I already posted the first two, and here are the rest.

Birthday Shoe


London Shoe

High School Shoe

Half Marathon Shoe

All Together Now

Update: "Walk In My Shoes" Paintings

I finished two of the paintings for the "Walk In My Shoes" exhibit last night. I also got the good news that one or both of them will be featured in the marketing materials for the exhibit! I'm so excited! I decided to title them to reflect why the shoes are special to me.

Chicago Shoes


Wedding Shoes

New Painting Series

I'm working on a six painting series for the "Walk in My Shoes" exhibit at the Columbia Art Center. It runs mid-late April. I started them last night, and even though I've only worked on them once, I think they're looking okay so far.

I chose 3 belted shoes and 3 shoes with laces for the paintings. I photographed them just as they were in my closet, and didn't do any re-arranging of anything.

I started the first 3 last night, and should have the second set started next week.

2012 - The Year of Racing

It appears as though I caught a serious racing bug in 2011. This year, I'm going to strive for the following:

Two 5K
One 10K
One 10 miler
Three 1/2 Marathons (2 in one week!)
One marathon

There might be another one mixed in there somewhere. We'll see!

Oops!

I forgot to add one of my favorite albums from 2011!

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - self titled


Their sound is awesome and cute. It almost seems as though this band is from a different time and place. Take a listen. You'll see what I mean.

And a few late entries...

The Black Keys - El Camino

Some have criticized them for selling out their sound. I don't understand it because they continue to sound pretty great. Sure, there's a song on here that's a combo rip off "Stairway to Heaven" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance". But, who cares.

The Roots - Undun

There are some real gems on this one. I love that there's a hip hop band out there. With a real drummer. Plus, it's pretty awesome what they pulled on M.Bachman on Jimmy Kimmel.

Favorite Albums of 2011

It's that time of year again! Time for the roundup of my favorite albums of the year. 2011 was an especially great year for music, especially women artists. Here's my list, in no particular order.

Wilco - The Whole Love

I was about to give up on this band. Their last few albums were so boring. This album reminded me why I loved them in the first place!

War On Drugs - Slave Ambient

A great record for a quiet Friday evening at home.

Tori Amos - Night of Hunters

I have loved Tori for so long. I don't care if she's not the most popular. She is a musical genius. Her albums of the last decade have been enjoyable, but there was usually only a song or two on each one I really loved. This album works the entire way through. I can't stop listening to it. Best when driving on a gray day.

Wild Flag - Wild Flag


These ladies rock. Enough said.

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

Her guitar work cannot be denied. I think this album is alot more accessible than her last effort, Actor. A really great listen from beginning to end.

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

I was against this album when I heard a sneak peak of it before it came out. Then I bought it and listened to it. One of her best. I don't know why I was so turned off by it at first. But, as I've learned throughout my life thus far, things I initially greatly dislike end up being my most favorites. (Twin Peaks, Tori Amos, Big Lebowski, etc).

Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

Sensual and beautiful album. Her voice is captivating.

Black Lips - Arabia Mountain

The super fun party album of 2011. I dare you to listen to this and not dance around the room like a silly person.

Tom Waits - Bad as Me

Best album since Mule Variations. Some really great tunes from one of America's best song writers.

Running Apparel

So many of my friends have started running this year. I am so proud of them! Many of them have asked for running gear recommendations. I am of the opinion that, if you can put on a cute outfit, it makes getting out there on the sidewalks and roads easier. Here are some of my favorite cold weather options.

First up, Under Armour Frosty Tights. They are essential for cold weather running. I don't wear shorts over them, but some do. They were recommended to me by my sister years ago and I couldn't run without them!

UA EVO Hoody! I usually wear a long sleeve shirt or tank under this hoody. That's usually good even when it's cold. If it's really cold (below 30), I'll throw a fleece over it.

Newton Running Shoes. I love Newtons. They feel like the shoes I was always meant to have! But, they are not for everyone. I also love their funky colors.

Sweaty Bands. There are many retailers for these. They're ribbon with velvet backing, so you can wear a headband and it won't slip. If you have fine hair like me, these are a must! There are alot of sellers on etsy who also make and sell them.

Back!

Sorry I've been so MIA this year. I spent most of the summer training for a marathon, which I ran in the fall. So, now I'm back with more ramblings. More posts to come.

Marathon Training Progress Log

The Maryland 1/2 Marathon was such a success, I decided to train to run the Philadelphia Marathon in November. So far, it's pretty difficult running at least 15-18 miles every weekend, but I'm doing it! I'm still with the same awesome training group, and the people who run with me are the best motivation anyone could ask for.

This weekend, I run the Charm City Run 20 miler. I thought it would be good practice for the marathon. Hopefully I can keep up the motivation until November!

Cupcakes - Two Little Red Hens

My friend and I went to NYC for the day to see the fabulous Alexander McQueen exhibit at the MET. We are both cupcake fans, so we tried out a new bakery, Two Little Red Hens. Their cupcakes were fabulous! Super moist cake, with just the right amount of frosting. The chocolate one was a bit overwhelming, but they were some of the best vanilla/vanilla I've ever had. I would highly recommend them!

Crabcake Wars

This summer, my husband and I have set out on a little journey of sorts for a really awesome crabcake. I read about the one at Koko's Pub, so we thought we would try it.

Turns out, this was the best crabcake I've ever eaten. It was almost a religious eating experience. Huge pieces of lump crab meat held together just enough with a fabulous tasting filler.


A friend recommended Pappas Crabcakes, so we visited there a few weeks ago. Their crabcakes were very good, but were not the awesome experience that Koko's was.


For our little experiment, Koko's wins, but Pappas is also a really fun place. If you're looking for the quintessential Baltimore crabcake, either of these places will satisfy.

U2

I think it's great that no one really smokes anymore, and while this was a really great moment at U2 in Baltimore, sometimes, I miss the olden days of holding up lighters.

Burgers I've Eaten - Part 16 - Alewife

Alewife was recently awarded the best burger in Baltimore. When reading reviews, there was some chatter online comparing their burger to that at Hamilton Tavern. Since Hamilton Tavern is my current favorite burger, I was excited to see how Alewife's stacked up to the competition! The answer is....good, but not as good as Hamilton Tavern.

Alewife really piles on the goodies on their smokehouse burger. Bacon, chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato, gruyere cheese. The beef they use is reportedly from Roseda Farms, and good beef like that doesn't really need dressing up. I actually took most of the bacon off the burger and ate it separately. The bacon itself was very good.

There is something intimidating about getting a burger with a huge steak knife stuck into it. This was a serious burger! I did manage to finish it, but couldn't look at the guy at the bar next to me 10 minutes later when he started eating the same thing. It was alot of food.

Overall, this burger is my #2. A very good burger, but my favorite is still Hamilton Tavern.

The accompanying duck fat fries were also good, but the ones at Victoria Gastropub are better.

Pretty view from the old bank window


Burger and Fries (and beer)


Burger closeup!