Fish Bombs, Butterflies, And A Boatneck

My sister whom I call Pig Nose, endearingly of course, (she calls me Weasel Nose), called me on the phone today inquiring when I would be posting again as she has been waiting impatiently, so I'm right on it tonight.  After all, I started blogging just for her.  She also asked about my current butterfly project.  So here we go.

Have you ever, (of course you have, that's why we buy things), seen something in a catalog, on Instagram, on a blog, in a museum, etc. and you are so drawn to it that you keep going back to it over and over because it gives you such pleasure just looking at it?  Sometimes you can order/buy it and have it for your own.  Other times it's not for sale, it's one of a kind, or it's way out of your price range. That's happened to me a couple times lately so I have had to make my own versions.

A couple years ago, I saw these red and white wooden pieces hanging on this wall on a blog (now closed) that someone had linked to.  I was so drawn to them that I went back to that blog post over and over and then I looked for other pictures of them as she blogged about her house.  They just delighted me, I don't know why.  After some investigative reading,  I learned that the boyfriend of this blogger had made them (and those cute dice pieces too) with his band saw.  So I bought myself a band saw and made not just four, but a family of five that became known as my Fish Bombs.  And here they are on our kitchen wall and we just love them.  It was a fun project and not really that difficult.

A few months ago, I saw a painting of a butterfly on the wall of a living room featured on the blog known as Zhush. The author is a Connecticut based designer/decorator and I like her style and taste.  I found myself drawn to the butterfly every time she posted another shot of her living room on her blog.  And I've never really been drawn to butterflies in art before (or red and white fish either for that matter).  A few times her home and that room were featured on other design blogs and magazines so I kept seeing the butterfly.  One day she posted a picture of it on Instagram and was asked where she bought it and she revealed the online art store.  I went to it and found that the painting is just a print but it sells for $2,950!  Just under three grand for a print!  Well, I decided that our family room (aka the Smoking Room) could use some colorful butterflies so I painted four of them and I saved us $12,000!  Just kidding.  I had a blast painting them!  I looked up true butterfly shapes on the internet for inspiration and then sketched some with my own wing and color plans.  I painted them with acrylic paint on Arches paper and then varnished them before framing.

Here is the print I saw on the blog.  So colorful and cheery and cheer!

And here are some shapes I found online for butterfly body inspiration.

 And here they are!

 This is the one based on the original.  My colors are a bit different as is the design; after all, I was working from a picture of a print.

 They are meant to be whimsical, not true to nature, just fun to look at, and they are!

That long wall needed some color don't  you think?

Speaking of color, look at the rich green of this salad dressing below.  Several blog posts ago, I gave the recipe for a homemade vinaigrette featuring basil.  Lots of basil.  I make it all the time now and it keeps perfectly for a couple weeks at room temperature.  If I chill it, it hardens like butter so it remains on the kitchen table next to the oil and vinegar.  Super yummy.

And more color; I am still taking sewing classes - last night I finished making an emerald green rayon knit boat neck, 3/4 sleeve top.  The next class we will be making a simple chemise type dress - so exciting!  I made a shirt!

Due to kitchen, night time lighting, it looks teal but it's really almost as green as the basil salad dressing.
And more color to finish this post:

 Well these aren't too pretty but they will be!  I checked all my dahlia tubers over wintering in the cellar and they are doing great.  I had to mist a few but I think all is well!

Spring all over the house!