Finally A Lot Happening

So Im really trying to push my art stuff so much that I am unfortunately slacking on my blogging.  I really need to sneak my computer in the bed more often so I can play once Willow Pet is asleep!  The only thing about that is it seems for some reason the clicking of my fingers on the keyboard are more distracting to her slumber than the idiot dogs yelping all night long:(

Anyway, here is one little thing going on that is pretty exciting.  Through the Sugar Land Art Gallery, I have one of my pieces in their Air Travel show at the Sugar Land airport.  I have yet to visit it, but I promise I will.  Yes, that is my little airplane picture there on the back of the flyer.  It was a pretty tedious graphite piece but so much fun to do.  So if you happen to be in the Houston area, go check it out. XOXO

Work in Progress

So this is what Im up to these days.  I have this beautiful friend who also happens to be an amazing photographer, Tamara Licghtenstein.  She takes the awesome photos of naked chicks and what not for campaigns such as Converse, Urban Outfitters, and Supra.  I have been waiting for that perfect photo to pop up that I could use to do a collaboration with her and I finally got my chance.  This is a little progress shot.  Im hoping to have it completed in two weeks, but we will see how much Willow lets me get done:)  Im really excited about this one!!!

Missing my purple Hair

Oh yeah, while I was blogging MIA, I decided I would go back to my roots, aka midlife crisis, and dye my hair purple. It actually started because my son was on a portrait drawing kick and he was referencing this beautiful Youtube babe with purple hair. I of course thought "hey, I NEED purple hair" and I immediately headed to Sally's beauty supply. I wasn't sure what to get because I haven't gone wild since I was a teenager in my punk rock/raver stage, so I opted for manic panic purple haze and ion Fusia. And...it worked...for a week. Then I dyed it again, ran out of color and decided to go back to dark brown. Now I miss it, so stay tuned. I hear Walmart actually has permanent purple color. Hehe.

Finally…I have a website Y'all

I have been so busy lately and have been a very bad blogger, but I now have a new website, which will force me to (hopefully) keep up with my blog.  Please check it out.  I worked really hard on it for about two days, haha:)

slevasseurart.com

What Willow Wore

Simple and sweet.  Yes, babies all decked out in tutus are really cute, but my little one is now on the move.  She's now six months old and crawling!!!  My son skipped the crawling phase because we had all tile floors and he rarely got the chance too.  I was one of those super paranoid FTMs and just knew he would bust his head open if I let him try to crawl on the tile, so he just went straight to walking.  Now that I have Willow (and carpet), this is a new adventure for me.  That being said, who wants to be all fancy when they are in constant motion?  Not Willow.  We are all about comfort these days, so this kind of outfit is usually the norm around here.  Cute and comfortable.  The slouchy grey long sleeve too is Burts Bees Organic $15 and the grey polka dot pants with mint bows are from Little Me $10.  Oh yeah, and the pants came with the cute little hair thingy to match.

The Best Creamy Cheesy Tomato Soup EVER

To be honest, I have not been a connoisseur of tomato soups or tomatoes period for too long, but I know enough to know what I like.  Campbell's tomato soup…ugh no thanks.  Panera Bread's tomato soup…getting better.  My delicious tomato-ish creation…yum.  Not to brag, but even my picky eating son dipped his grilled cheese right in and went to town.
     My inspiration came from this great little Indian/Pizzeria place called Bombay Pizza we have here and I must say they have the best tomato soup.  It's creamy and very Italian with Indian spice mixed in as well.  The problem is I do not have the recipe and they only give you one slice of bread for dipping at the restaurant.  No good.  I need carbs to balance out my soups.  So last night I had the urge to make an Indian feast.  It was pretty good, but not good enough to post just yet.  It did, however, make me think about Bombay's soup, and so I decided to give it a go.  I wasn't going for an exact replica, but instead, a toned-down version with a little more consistency.
     Before we get started, let me just mention that I wanted to add a little Indian kick to this soup, so I looked through my pantry and found a bag of Chaat Masala.  Its an Indian spice that is pretty common in most grocery stores with a good Ethnic Food isle or you can get it at an Indian market.  Im sure if you omit this ingredient it will not ruin your soup, but if you have or can get it, give it a try.  For me it really put this soup over the top.
      I decided the good ol' slow cooker would be the best tool for the job, but Im sure it would still be amazing simmered over the stove for an hour or two if you do not have one.  First, I chopped and added the garlic, onion, and basil first.  Then add the can of tomato sauce, broth, can of diced tomatoes, Marsala, and heavy cream.  I let that cook in the slow cooker for about 1.5 hours on high, stirring occasionally.
     After the first soak in the slow cooker, my taste tester (the Hubby) said it was "okay", to which I replied "its just the base, don't worry."  I then messily scooped out everything in the crock pot and emptied it into my food processor.  I have a big one, if you do not please do it in batches or you will have an even bigger mess.  Im sure a blender would work fine as well.  I blended everything together then added it back to the slow cooker.  This is where I added my spices, butter, and cheese.  I wanted it a little thicker so I stirred in a spoonful of flour as well (optional).  I cooked it on low for another hour, and added some fresh parsley and more parmesan for garnish.
     Like, I said I need carbs for my soups, so while all that slow cooker stuff was happening, I grilled me and the fam up some sharp cheddar and spinach paninis for dunking.  The soup was freaking delicious.  I had some left over I will definitely eat for lunch, but next time I will double the batch and freeze half of it.  There it is.  I hope you enjoy:)

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
20 oz of tomato sauce (my big can was 29 oz so I eyeballed it)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of chicken broth
3 tablespoons of Marsala cooking wine
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 of an onion chopped
handful of fresh basil chopped
2 tbs of butter
1 1/2 tbs of Chaat Masala (optional)
1 tbs of flour (optional)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
parsley for garnish

My latest additions to my Kill Bill Art Series

So, if you look back, my first was my favorite character from Kill Bill:  Elle Driver.  In between having a kidney stone, caring for my little ones, painting on my big kitty painting, and now teaching art lessons, I squeezed in a little time to sketch.  Here is the charming but deadly teen Gogo, and the ultra chic killer mistress O-Ren Ishii.  As you can probably tell, O-ren is still under construction.  I should have her finished soon and up under my art tab.  As for a note on the home remedy for my kidney stone…stay tuned.  So far so good.  I don't want to mislead anyone so I'm waiting to post on that until I feel confident my problem is solved.

Making the Most of Our First Unemployed Weekend

We actually did some stuff this weekend…yay.  Usually, during the weekends, we are trying so hard just to get little things done around the house and just constantly looking for time between handing the baby off and making sure Savion gets some one on one time that we rarely get a chance to really do much on our weekends.  Well, that all changed last week.  My husband got laid off unfortunately.  Besides being an incredible artist, he is actually in the oil/gas industry and if you see the gas prices you know it must be bad.  Usually it seems to happen every two years, but this time we are really going to try and reinvent our lives.  Tony (my hubby) really and truly hates his job.  We have been fortunate that it has served us well, but I know that his true happiness does not lie behind a desk.  He is so talented and we both have so many dreams so this is the perfect opportunity to see if we can actually make something work.  If not…well, hopefully the industry picks up soon.  But for now, I have an awesome babysitter, I get to paint more, and we both get to spend more quality time together and with the kiddos.  And I hear if your home gets foreclosed on they usually do physically drag you out of it for about a year (it won't get to that hopefully).  So, I can either feel sorry for myself and totally freak out, or I can make the best of it, and that's what I am choosing to do.  Here are a few pics of us enjoying our first jobless/survival/happpier weekend.

Veggie Black Bean Enchilladas

Have you ever had Chilis Southwest Egg rolls? Well, I found a copy-cat recipe for them years ago and incorporate them into my menu every once in a while.  I even make the avocado ranch to accompany them…yum.  So one night I wanted to make enchilladas and I wanted to save my chicken for another meal, so I started looking to Pintrest for other ideas and I discovered the veggie enchilada, BUT…I decided maybe I should use most of the Southwest Egg Roll ingredients for the enchiladas and Wham…Greatness.  So here is my version of Veggie (Southwest Egg Roll) Enchiladas.

There are two parts to this enchilada business, but don't get discouraged.  They are really quite easy.  I actually usually make them on the nights when my hubby goes to jiujitsu and I have to simultaneously cook while watching an infant.  Usually I actually cut up all the veggies during nap times so I can just dump them in the pan later.

So first, you need to dump the garlic and bell peppers into a couple of tbsp of olive oil and cook for a few minutes until they smell delicious.  Then I add the frozen spinach, which I heat up in the microwave for a few minutes then drain so its not all wet.  Mix it all up until the spinach gets spread around (like 1 minute).  Then add the other green stuff…jalepenos, cilantro, and green onions.  Next come the beans and corn.  I run both through a strainer before adding them so Im not overwhelmed by the juices.  Lastly, mix in the spices and cheese, and give it a few stirs and take it off of the heat.  This is what it looks like.  Yum…see the steam.

Put all of the stuffing into preheated tortillas (I heat them in the microwave a little with a wet towel covering them so they are more pliable).  Pour a little enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the enchiladas in the dish (duh). Pour the rest of the sauce on top, and I like to sprinkle a little cheddar over them too.  Then pop those babies into a preheated oven at 375 and bake for about 25 minutes.  I like mine a little crispy on the edges, so that time works perfect for me.  This isn't in the picture but they are even more delicious with some sliced avocados on top!  Enjoy.  I sure did.

Ingredients:

1 can of rinsed and drained black beans
1/2 can of drained sweet corn kernels
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 jalepeno (minced)
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 cup of cooked drained spinach (I did frozen)
7-10 tortillas
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar
1/4 cup of cheddar to sprinkle on top
1 can of Enchilada Sauce
1 tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp olive oil

My Amazing Home Water Birth

This post will not be too long.  If you are interested in reading my awesome, beautiful, and sometimes gross birth story, please check it out above under the birth story tab.  Anyway, no, I did not just have another baby this week, but I did just finish posting my story so I wanted to share a post about it.  It has been five months ago but it seems like yesterday when I was holding my new baby girl in my arms.  Better yet…we were in the comfort of my home.  My son got to experience the gift of life and was able to cuddle with his new sister all night long in our own bed.  For the record, I am not some super crunchy granola chick, but I am a firm believer in trusting your body and living as naturally as possible.  Im not saying everyone should run out and have a home birth, but every woman should have the choice  to have the experience she wants.  This was my choice and I thank God everyday that it was a good one.  I would not take back one second of it.

What Willow Wore

I love this baby turban!!!  I ordered it from Shelby Jane & Co.'s Etsy  shop and couldn't be happier with it.  Willow gets so many compliments very time she has it on and it really makes her blue eyes pop.  I would have ordered more but I wanted to make sure the fit was right, but I will be ordering more soon in every color.  I shopped around and her prices were really good.  I think this was like $8…not too shabby.  Here's the link to her shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShelbyJaneandCo?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Clarins Tonic Body Oil … Does this prevent stretch marks? My story

I have been feeling terrible the last few days with a "stuck"  kidney stone, so I haven't really been in the mood for taking/editing photos or really doing anything that requires thinking, so Im doing a review.  When I was pregnant with my son nine years ago, I somehow ran across this stuff, and decided even though it had a hefty price tag (around $60) to give it a try.  For most of my pregnancy I rubbed the Clarins oil on right after showering while my skin was still damp.  I then followed with Cocoa Butter after drying off.  First pregnancy: no stretch marks.  As soon as I found out I was preggos again, I ran to Sephora in hopes that Clarins still made it.  Sure enough, they still sold it and it had amazing reviews as well.  I ordered mine online because I love the Sephora samples, but Im sure they sell it at the physical locations as well.  I followed the same protocol this time around and sure enough, I am happy to report no stretch marks.  By the way, I only went through one bottle for my entire pregnancy.  I really can't tell you if I just have good genes, or if its the fact that I constantly kept my skin moisturized , or if it was the Clarins Tonic, but I know it definitely didn't hurt.  So yes, I do recommend this Tonic.  Save the belly and splurge on this product. By the way, I will update on the kidney stone garbage.  Im trying this home remedy so wish me luck.
http://www.sephora.com/tonic-body-treatment-oil-P95070

My Favorite New Trend: Joggers

I have never been a sweatpants type of girl.  I don't wear my gym outfit to the grocery store.  There is nothing wrong if thats your thing, I just don't get out much, so even a trip to the market calls for an attempt at semi-chicness.   However; I have recently met the jogger.  Apparently now you can wear sweatpants with heels or flats or whatever, so of coarse, I love them.  Not to mention, they are so comfortable.  I now have like eight pair in every color.  These are a pair I picked up yesterday at Forever 21 for $17.90.  I loved that I can wear almost any color cami or tank to match them.  Today I just wore a black tank and black pointy flats and tah-dah…I looked awesome.  At least I thought so.  Im not sure if my husband can wrap his head around the fact that sweatpants on girls is now cool.
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=bottom&productid=2000097322

New Kinds of Love

Before I had my son, I couldn't possibly think I could love someone as much as I loved my husband.  I would seriously picture instances in my crazy head in which I would jump in front of a bus for him.  When I had my son, I admit, I was scared I would not be able to love him as much as I should, but of coarse that changed the moment I laid eyes on him.  I found I was able to share my love and develop a new kind of love…the love for a child.  I do not have a big family and had never even held a baby before my son, so you can kind of see where the fear may have come from.  Eight years later, here comes baby Willow.  Again, I felt that I could never love another baby like I do my son.  I still worry that if she would have been a boy…hmmm (just kidding, but I do have way too much testosterone floating around my house).  Now I realize that the love for your family is limitless and unconditional.  I look at my husband, my son, and my daughter, and although the love for each of them is somewhat different, it is love all the same.  So Im dedicating this post to the love of my beautiful boy.  No matter how big he gets, he is always my baby.

Kill Bill Sketch Series

Hi y'all, I am currently working on a Kill Bill pencil sketch series between work on my big kitty painting.  Its my favorite movie ever (well, both of them).   I can seriously sit down and watch it anytime and I can honestly say, I never get tired of it.  Tarantino, is amazing.  I have heard they may drop a Kill Bill 3 this year, but we will see.  Im keeping my fingers crossed.  For now, please enjoy my sketches if you are a fan.  Im only including my favorite characters, and I may even have multiples of the same character.  This one of Elle Driver, I chose because it's the most commercial, but I have another one I may do as well.  If I get time while baby is napping, Im going to try and find a good Gogo source pic.  Once these are all completed I may do limited signed prints.

This Sums Up How Cool We Are

This is what my husband does to my baby when he is babysitting - takes awesome photos of her.  I ordered the onesie on Etsy, and got a lot of use out of it.  I may even order another one, and a shirt for my son.  "Wu Tang is For the Children".

New Painting - Big Kitty

Im posting a progress shot of my big sphinx kitty.  I have it on Instagram, but I don't really get to explain much on the gram.  I did a smaller one , 24"x30" and it actually sold on Saatchi for $2,200.  I was soooo stoked, as you can imagine.  I had never sold anything before that for over $1000, but it was bittersweet because I loved seeing it hanging on the walls.  So I decided to make a much larger version (I think this one is almost six feet tall, but I have to get the exact dimensions later).  I love doing ornamental stuff too, so instead of the water in the background, I may do some cool pattern…not sure yet.  Stay tuned.

What Willow Wore (or will wear)

My last post was about my crazy butt already crafting for Willow's first birthday, so to stay consistent in my delirium, I went ahead and bought her the perfect matching dress. Hopefully it fits her by then. I found this supa cute orange and pink medallion pillowcase dress at Little Sweetie Boutique's etsy shop. There were soooo many cute ones, but i'll have to wait until we get warmer weather to order more. oh, by the way, her prices were great! Check it out at www.littlesweetieboutique.com

Too early for crafting?

Is it too early to start making craft decor for my daughter's birthday at the end of summer?  Nah.  I keep envisioning this awesome pink and orange blowout and our backyard actually being landscaped, so we shall see.  In the meantime, Ive been picking up scrapbook paper and what not from Micahels or Hobby Lobby when they are 1/2 off so I can begin her bday banner.  Pretty huh?  Im NOT crafty.  Let me repeat, Not crafty…artsy, yes.  And there is a difference.  Maybe this little projects will help me.

Lovely Mornings

What would I be without my kids? I used to say "Im never having kids". My son was the first baby I ever held. Now I can't get enough hugs. I love them unconditionally. Sometimes I admit, I have to take a breather, but I can't imagine not having them in my life.