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Kimberly A Cook

Got Art Projects?

April 5, 2016 By Kimberly A. Cook 2 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                        (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Perfection is overrated and a creativity killer. It’s a challenge to ignore all our inner and outer critics and go with our heart. This past sunny Friday I had an afternoon to squander cleaning. Garden or garage? My motto is to do what is bugging me the most and the garage was top on the list.

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Banker box tops, bark pieces and the sun. Old school supplies. Cheap too. 

 

Between the monsoon rains in December and the usual crazy, the garage had become another sad victim of the drop and go syndrome. My goal was to excavate my work bench and tidy the joint. On top of the layers of stuff on the bench were banker box tops full of bark pieces I had picked up at Suttle Lake. Took the trays out on the patio and let them have a final sun shot before bringing them inside to my jewelry workbench.

When I first started gathering these bark pieces on one our trips to Sisters, I thought they might make nice pendants. I used a plastic bag in the car to collect my bark booty. Last September I used an orange Home Depot bucket, I was prepared. Another form of treasure hunting for me.

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Have bark bucket, will travel. Bark booty!

 

Do I have enough pieces of bark now? Probably. Maybe. Do I know what I am going to do with them all? Nope. But I like them. I’ve been playing with different ideas. The first thought to be jewelry pendants is morphing into maybe little bark vignettes on tiny easels. Not sure. And that’s the best part of art projects; we don’t have to know what it will become.

I’ve also been on a glitter buying terror recently too. Combo of a half-price sale and the bark pieces. Bling bark? Whether folks color books, paint, sew, cook, sculpt, weave, woodcraft, garden or put glitter on bark, the creative process is all about not being perfect.

Because imperfect is priceless. Got art projects?

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Filed Under: Creativity Tagged With: art, art projects, bark art, bling, create, creative, creativity, glitter, Kimberly A Cook, mixed material, muse, nature art, Warrior Tales, wood

Time For A Sun Bath?

April 2, 2016 By Kimberly A. Cook Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook                        (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Sun fever. That’s my excuse. Missed my second Friday posting due to the distraction of the sun and warm temperatures. It was in the 70s! I wore shorts and sandals! Naked toes! It’s the little things in life.

So we need to take a lesson from these kitty cats. Sun bathe when you can. Nap hard!

Have a great weekend!

 

 

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Filed Under: Quirky Fridays Tagged With: cat nap, cats, Kimberly A Cook, relax, sleeping cats, snooze, Spring, summer, sun, sun bath, Warrior Tales

Can You Master Lazy Entertaining?

March 29, 2016 By Kimberly A. Cook 1 Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Easter is one of my favorite holidays since it’s an all bunnies all the time zone. This past Sunday I hosted the family holiday again but I entertained in full mosey mode. Its been a busy couple months with a surgery, an accident recovery and general chaos in the family.

So my plan was to air lift the vittles from one of our favorite restaurants. I ordered the ham and cheese quiche and the four different pieces of pie online from Shari’s Restaurant on Thursday. Picked them up at 10 a.m. on Saturday and put all in the frig. Since I also picked up lettuce, tomatoes, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and two bouquets of flowers on Thursday night after work, fini!

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Bunny booty bag, name tag holder and chocolate eggs. Step 1.

 

Since the cooking was done except for heating up the quiche on Sunday morning, I decided to do some bunny table decorating. I always have to make bunny booty bags to go for all my guests; it’s the perfect excuse to buy more Easter candy. Found the name tag holders for the table, the pink tablecloth and the bunny candy dish.

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Add more bunny candy and flowers. Step 2.

 

My collection of rabbits from around the world sits right next to the dining room table, so adding the candy dish with Hershey’s Kisses and the chocolate candy covered eggs in the blue measuring bowl, almost perfect. I added two bouquets of flowers and all was set.

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Years of bunny collecting, hares everywhere!

 

Some folks might call this slacking, but after years of cooking and baking, sometimes a person just needs a break. In the past we’ve tried this for Mother’s Day and it worked out quite well. There’s nothing like zooming past the waiting  line of 10,000 people at The Olive Garden to get lasagna, bread sticks and salad to go. The whimpers from those in the line is always followed by someone saying “Why didn’t we do that?”

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Then right before guests arrive some gate crasher always shows up looking for his name tag on the table. Step 3. There are fewer chocolate eggs in the bowl in this picture. No idea how that happened. That’s my story ……..  

 

So after we had our meal, a nice chat and some folks took a little power nap, it was time to unbox the pie. We had one piece of everyone’s favorite, because you can’t buy a chocolate cream, peach, Marion berry, chocolate silk pie. Plus I sent home a piece of quiche for all to go with their bunny bags of chocolates.

Totally unexpected was a bunny booty haul I made with gifts from my sister and family. A mini bunny baking cake pan, chocolate bunny, chocolate carrots, bunny napkins, bunny marshmallow decorating kit and a bunny centerpiece. Bunnypalooza! Does life get much better than that? I think not.

Sometimes lazy really pays off. Viva la online food ordering! Plan ahead, Mother’s Day is coming….

 

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: bunnies, cooking, Dining in, Easter, Easy holidays, Entertaining, family, food, holidays, home, Kimberly A Cook, rabbits, Spec Ops Cat, Warrior Tales

Bunnies And Cat Love?

March 26, 2016 By Kimberly A. Cook 1 Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Between watching March Madness, shopping and getting ready for the Easter Bunny’s arrival, I’m behind on my posting. So what better way to enjoy the weekend than to see bunnies and cats getting along. These giant “baby” bunnies look pretty good size to me.

The house is stocked with chocolate eggs, pie and quiche, so we are good to go for family dinner tomorrow. Spec Ops Cat is resting up by taking lots of naps so he can be the furry host with the mostest.

Have a great weekend and hope you had a Happy Quirky Friday too!

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Filed Under: Quirky Fridays Tagged With: animals, bunnies, cat, cats, Easter Bunny, getting along, Kimberly A Cook, March Madness, pets, Warrior Tales

Got Favorite Spring Break Memories?

March 22, 2016 By Kimberly A. Cook Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

The traffic on the way to the day job yesterday was light, the parking lot half full and the phones quiet; must be Spring Break! For those of us who don’t get Spring Break, it does bring back happy memories and carefree days of Beach Boys songs and the promise of “Fun, Fun, Fun.”

Had two teasing days of sun the end of last week, but sure as can be the rains are back for the school break vacation. So while it seems this gray cloudy weather will never leave us alone, I don’t want the record breaking temperatures of last summer either. Let’s go for a middle, normal type summer this year okay?

So with that in mind, I want to jog Mother Nature’s memory with reminders of what great summers look like. Here are a few pictures to give her some summer ideas.

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The beachfront at Lahaina, Maui. Always a winner!

 

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The red Veteran’s Honor and pink Fairy roses, two of my all time favorites in bloom.
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Taking the time to enjoy a spectacular desert sunset.

So note to Mother Nature; feel free to repeat any of the above this summer. Spring break dreams just might lead to summer days of happiness. “If everybody had an ocean……” Got fun Spring Break memories?

 

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Filed Under: Motivation Tagged With: beach, Beach Boys, Kimberly A Cook, play, recess, roses, Spring Break, summer fun, sunsets, vacation, Warrior Tales

Can Your Tiger Play Soccer?

March 18, 2016 By Kimberly A. Cook 2 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

The sun is finally out and it’s time to get in shape. Seems we should all follow Mik’s lead and stay limber by playing more soccer. This aging Oregon Zoo resident is keeping in top form with a fitness work out plan. Maybe the Thorns and Timbers need to check out his moves.

Spring is here, summer is on the way. Let’s play ball!

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Filed Under: Quirky Fridays Tagged With: Amur tiger, cats, fintess, Kimberly A Cook, Oregon Zoo, pets, Portland Thorns, Portland Timbers, Siberian tiger, soccer, soccer city, tiger, Tiger soccer, Warrior Tales

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