I'm baa-ack!

Sorry. Sorry. Excuse me. Sorry.

Okay, I'm not really that sorry, I'm just that busy. I wasn't kidding about how time-consuming tech weeks can be. And I just finished tech week #2. And added another show to my work list for March! Whoa! Slow down there, sister.

But it's for a much bigger theater, and it'll definitely be a high-profile show in the Twin Cities; I really couldn't say no. To the theater or the paycheck. This is the life of a free-lance artist; we gotta take the work when it comes along.

Anyway - back to the creating part of my life. I don't have photos of everything I've done lately, because most of the items are show-related, and I was in a rush to get them done! And to the theater! And ready for the show!!!!!

#1 - I made a nametag for the lead character in "Slasher", for her waitress uniform (The Buster's t-shirt, from earlier).

#2 - I made a fabulous dinner for my daughters, my husband, and myself; the boy was at a friend's house, so it was a perfect night for tilapia. I roasted some aromatic vegetables in flavored olive oil, made a vinaigrette marinade with balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and herbs, put the fillets on the vegetables and covered the pan with foil. I also made jasmine rice to serve with the fish (the youngest was very happy for the "sticky rice"!). It was a lovely meal.

#3 - I made puffy sleeve shirts for the actors in "The Cmplt Works".
#4 - Then I made doublets to go over the puffy sleeve shirts
#5 - Finally, pumpkin pants! These guys are ready for the Ren Fest!!

#6 - I made a pattern for a tulip sleeve, to go in a costume for "The Pirates of Penzance" at St. Catherine University. Since I'm not designing this show, I have to make sure my work fits somebody else's vision. She liked it, and I'll be cutting out the dress (and sleeves!) on Monday.

Let's see, where does that get me to? Now I'm working on the set and the costumes for "Mousetrap", so: #8 - I designed the floor plan for the set, taped it out, and found somebody to build the set! The walls are up, the first layer of pain is on, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with the flooring.

#9 - There was another meal in here somewhere - Yes, ricotta and blueberry pancakes! Must have been Superbowl Sunday, just me and the kids were home, so I made a light supper. It was delish!

Update: I should probably give the recipe, huh?

1 1/4 cups pancake mix ( I used Bisquick Healthy Heart mix)
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup blueberries

Mix together the pancake mix, milk, ricotta cheese, and egg. Fold in the blueberries. Let the batter rest while the griddle preheats. (I have an electric griddle, and I LOVE it! It's so easy to make pancakes, bacon, hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches....drool!) I usually set the griddle to 350 degrees; the batter is thinner than the usual American pancake batter, but not as thin as crepe batter. These were wonderful, with the contrasting tangy and sweet flavors.

Wow, I used a lot of exclamation points this time around. I have to emphasize how busy I am, and how amazing all this work is - mostly because I don't have the photos to prove it; and because I don't want to feel like I've failed less than two months into my year-long goal.

I'm doing things, I'm creating, I'm accomplishing so much - but most of it isn't visible quite yet. Stay tuned!