Happy Valentine's Day

 1. How do you know who to marry?
Alice: Icky, icky, icky, icky.

Elsie: I need to grow up to marry someone first.
2. What is the right age to get married?
Alice: A B C D E

Elsie: 25
3. How can a stranger tell if two people are married?
Alice: Tickle tickle tickle.

Elsie: They get flowers.
4. What do you think your mom and dad have in common?
Alice: 1 2 3 4 5 Gromit! Gromit!

Elsie: They watch a movie.
5. What do most people do on a date?
Alice: Daddy, Daddy, zoom!

Elsie: Have to say bye and go out and see a movie.
6. When is it okay to kiss someone?
Alice: Look Mommy! Doggy!

Elsie: If them get married.
7. Is it better to be single or married?
Alice: Umm, that! Married.

Elsie: Married.
8. How would the world be different if people didn't get married?
Alice: Look Mommy, a kitty! And too, and that.

Elsie: If people wouldn't get married them wouldn't love each other.
9. How would you make a marriage work?
Alice: Ow, ow, ow, ow, kissin' my ow.

Elsie: Uhhh, tickle.
10. Where do people get married?
Alice: Married! Hahahahaha!

Elsie: At the temple.
11. Who are you going to marry?
Alice: Ewwww.

Elsie: Parley Brandon

Ready to share

A few weeks ago I wrote about a new hobby I was starting. I think I finally have enough of a handle on it that I feel confident enough to share it with the world.

I've started oil painting. It took me a few weeks to gather up supplies, read a few "oil painting for dummies" books, and watch a bunch of Bob Ross videos.

I was already dropping enough money on start up supplies, and didn't want to have the added cost of an easel. They can be quite expensive, especially for a good one. I figured for just starting out, I would make my own. It's worked fairly well so far. On the other side of the box is a little door that I open and put in hand weights to help stabilize it.

Now on to the actual paintings. This makes me feel a little vulnerable putting them out there like this, but I think I'm ready for it. These are uploaded in chronological order from my first painting to my most recent. I don't have names for them yet. That might be something I need to work on in the coming weeks...

This was my first time putting paint on a canvas. It didn't turn out at all like my reference photo, but for a first time playing with oil paints I was pretty proud of it.

1-16-2013

Alan affectionately calls this one "lavender field in the middle of a bonfire".  There are little moments that I really like in this one, but over all my color mixing skills need a lot of work.

1-18-2013

After the last fiasco, I got serious. I got a few more books and learned a few more brush strokes. I was really happy with how this one turned out.

1-23-2013

1-26-2013

2-5-2013

I got away from mountains for this next one. As most of the painting is some shade of lavender, I learned a lot about color mixing and making slightly different shades of basically the same color.

2-8-2013

Finally, this is what I painted today. Every painting I've done Elsie has asked me if I was going to paint a little house in my picture. Today I made a little cabin just for her.

2-11-2013

And that's what I've been doing lately. It can be difficult to pull everything out, spend the time on a painting, and then clean everything up with two very curious little girls at my heels, but I've some how managed to get some paint on a canvas.