FIREPLACE IS DONE!

Lookie here! The fireplace is painted! It looks SO much better now. Bye bye Temple of Gloom!!

Getting my pretend logs installed and working has been a long, many efforts project (gas was leaking, had it fixed, leaking still, fixed again, 3 attempts to have logs installed, etc etc.) But here it is - all done! and just in time for....70 degree weather! ha ha! Actually, it got cold again, so I've turned it on a few times. Pretend fire - might be better off with just a tv playing a picture of fire? Who knows. But this is the solution for now. The flue is severely cracked so it is not safe to have "real" fire. I'm thinking of Firemarshall Bob, does anyone else remember him? Lordy, that was Jim Carrey before he became super famous! Hilarious!

Also in the picture you can see the little "Valentine's Day" pillows with Matt and My initials. Stuffed with kapok pillow inserts (so soft, by the way!) and some floor pillows, the covers for which were on super sale at Pottery Barn, the store I love to hate.

I am obsessed with learning to paint portraits. I want to paint a great picture of both Stella and Rafe. Right now, I'm at below amateur level, obviously. The grouped ones are quicker practice pieces, and the one in front of mirror is a little better, but still quick - exactly the length of a Backyardigan episode, to be precise. I've considered reworking it to complete her eyes and warm up the color, but I think I am learning that painting without a subject before me is not so great...I really struggled with the big Rafe painting in part because it was from a photograph. So the problem is, i can't actually get these children to sit still, so how will I paint them. Hmmmm. I haven't figured that out yet. Maybe I should find another model, but the only person who might agree to that would be Matt. Hmmm, something to consider.

Going to and from Stella's preschool, I see the wonderful barn I am longing to paint. I imagine being out there in the grass painting it. When would I get a chance to do that? Probably never. I really, really want to do that, but I don't have enough alone time to do it. If Matt is home, we already are always taking turns running out to do errands and stuff. I would really like to have a few more moments to myself. It probably sounds so selfish. I try to give and give to my children and give and give to my home, but secretly, I want to indulge in selfish things, like having time to learn to be a better painter.