As I mentioned before, I don’t cook a lot but when I do it is generally something I really LOVE and it has to be easy & fast. (I’m not a patient woman; I admit it freely!)
I found this recipe in a magazine several years ago and because I love artichoke dip I thought I’d give it a whirl. And boy am I glad I did because it is easy and fast. (See, that meets my criteria.)
Easy Artichoke Dip
2 boxes frozen Artichoke Hearts (chopped)
1 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)
3/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup sour cream
salt & pepper
garlic powder (optional)
Mix artichokes, 1 cup of the parmasan cheese, mayo and sour cream together well. Add seasonings to taste.
Spread mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of parm cheese over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes or until nice and golden brown.
It looks like this when it comes out of the oven and smells sooooooo good. It’s hard to wait for it to cool enough to put into your mouth.
Serve it with thinly slice baguettes, crackers, etc. I can make a meal off it although it really should be a nice appetizer. But who says appetizers can’t be a main dish? Is it a rule?
This is the view I get each time I leave my house and don’t take the “boys” with me. It is just so pitiful. 
Do you ever see something, an object that is fairly common, but it reminds you of earlier times? That is what I think every time I see one of these old metal chairs. My grandmother, we called her Big Mama, had chairs like this in her yard. When we were small kids we would go visit at least once a week, and Big Mama, Papa and Mama would sit and rock while the three of us kids ran and played in the yard. I can still see them sitting there each time I see one of these chairs.
The Art Walk last night was great! It’s the first time since we started over a year ago that I have actually been able to get away from the shop (Delilah’s) and see what the other artists and shops are doing. And boy was it fun. 
And I love how people really get into describing what they like about paintings to their friends. 
Some artists were set up on the street even though it was a very HOT evening…
And some really smart artists, like Michelle, were set up inside in an air conditioned shop painting beautiful works of art. (You know I am especially fond of dogs so I loved this one!)
And we even had a group of ladies from Winchester who were making one of a kind greeting cards that were just lovely. 
When you paint for a living you often spend a lot of time doing things other than painting. Marketing takes up a great deal of time – working on the blog and website can take hours of time that I would rather spend painting but that’s part of the deal. 
They were a very nice group of girls, and along with their chaperones, they were curious about how I got to this point in my business. It’s always fun to speak to a group of people who have the same interests. Good luck girls with your “business badge”. And come see us again at Delilah’s.
I have always believed that anyone can paint. Many people say to me that “I don’t have the talent or the gift to paint”. My response has always been that you don’t need “talent”, just desire. You can learn techniques; you can learn about color theory; you can learn about composition. But you can’t learn desire. You have to want to paint. I have a terrific class of students currently on Wednesdays from 5 – 6:45. This is one of the painters, Shelly, working on her landscape.
And here is Yvonne working on a mountain and river scene. 
I took a ride yesterday out to Philip Carter Winery in Hume, Virginia. It is a lovely area with the beautiful vines all green and lush and the mountains in the background. 
There will be many great scenes to paint as they have buildings, ponds, and lots of vines to paint. I can’t wait.
These paintings are available by contacting me at 
Jordan and I became friends in the short time that I was there.
Jeffie, who was the sweeting little guy that ever lived, jumped the back fence at our yard at the house and caught a skunk in his mouth.
Green Onions I is an oil on canvas panel measuring 8″x10″ and is framed and available for $195. This painting can be seen at Delilah’s on Main Street in Front Royal, Virginia.
Green Onions II is an oil on canvas panel measuring 8″x10″ and is available framed for $195. It also can be seen at Delilah’s.
Here’s the start. I covered the entire paddle with acrylic paint making it look like a scene from the river with the sky above.
Next I sketched in the details that I wanted to paint on the paddle and started painting them in.
This is the finished detail of the paddle with the “Boys” on the front and Canoe Capital on the back.
The completed paddle and, of course, everyone’s a critic!
The Studio 