We Dreamed Of This Freedom

Do you remember - probably at moments when your irrational parents denied your request to have ONLY a Cadbury Fruit & Nut and a Coke for dinner and made you eat something horrid, like real food - a certain pledge you made to yourself?

(I'll pause while you fight back the feelings of resentment this has brought up.)

And then do you remember discussing in great deal with your friends the wide variety of candy and delightful baked goods you'd be having for dinner EVERY SINGLE NIGHT when you grew up?

The ferocity of that vow was so intense - we swore this again and again, while enduring the mania of our oppressors, who were so deranged as to think that SPINACH was an appropriate source of evening nutrition.

We marked the days until our all Now & Later & Pop Rocks dinners on the walls of our minds, like POWs.

And then - oddly - sometime in between those moments and real adulting, we all forgot that the whole POINT of surviving to adulthood is so that you can have candy for dinner.

What a cruel amnesia that is.

But tonight, I saw a post from my friend Vanessa that gave me hope that we call all still live the life we dreamed of as little tots.

This is the photo she posted of her dinner.

 She's living the dream we all dreamed.

We longed for this night as children, and she made it happen.

Let's not forget what it was like to be 7 and dream of what adulting would be like. Let's get out our crayons, our Lucky Charms and a nice cabernet and just retreat from the boring spinach-filled evenings every now and then. Life is short, and it should be magically delicious. Thank you, Vanessa, for this carpe diem moment.

I went to a crafty lunch with my sister yesterday - we vow to do these and then don't make enough time. We need to - they are fun.

I became briefly delusional, and somehow thought I was going to watercolor 20 roses over my lunch break, but that was nutty. I finished exactly one. But I like it!

The stamp image is from the Rose Wonder Bundle - gorgeous set with beautiful, intricate dies - and I stamped it in Daffodil Delight so that I could no-line watercolor. I used my Koi Watercolor to do that.

Really fun and relaxing to do. I love the BIG canvas of this image - I like the freedom to blend color in larger images. 

This weekend I have my Balloon Celebration class, which is also my newest online class, featuring three designs that are punchy and simple, and perfect for making a big stack of birthday or all occasion cards. 

 I am excited because I have some new students coming and I always love people who are new to stamping catching the bug!

Oh and I have an AMAZING recipe for you - I made these this week after having them at an event and they are incredible! You do need a food processor for this recipe, which I realize is out of character for me.

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Date Truffles (Vegan, Paleo, adapted slightly from this recipe)

makes about 2 dozen (original recipe says this but no it doesn’t)

Ingredients:

2 cups cashews

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2 cups soft Medjool dates, pitted (If you can get Del Real dates - they are AMAZING, whereas gross dried pitted dates from grocery stores are just sad - pitting is easy and quick)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process the cashews and coconut until crumbly. Add in the dates, coconut oil, vanilla and sea salt and process again until a sticky, uniform batter is formed.

Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons, then roll between your hands to form balls. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place in the freezer to set for at least an hour before serving. Store the balls in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for an even longer shelf life.
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Then I also have two book recommendations for you - they are both GREAT recommendations from friends, and I will now always listen to these friends. Big Magic - a fantastic book about creativity and the creative process, and Born With Teeth - a memoir, read by the author, Kate Mulgrew. 

When I get home from class I might just have a dinner of Pop Rocks in my blanket fort.

Loveyameanitbye.