The not-cute stage of painting (and meal planning)
It’s nearly fall, Swifties are thriving, and we set up a bird feeder this week like we’re officially auditioning for our granny-era hobbies. Knitting next? Possibly. Rocking chairs? Stay tuned.
I hope your long weekend was filled with equal parts rest and chaos. Personally, I’m showing up to this Tuesday morning somewhere between “refreshed and radiant” and “disheveled gremlin.” (It’s me, hi.)
If you’re in the gremlin camp too, don’t worry — scroll down for some very good meal ideas that saved my week.
Inside My Studio
Butterflies and dinosaurs are officially painted (!!) and now it’s on to the glamorous-but-not-glamorous part: scanning, layering, and editing.
Confession: when I started the butterfly piece, I was this close to declaring it a flop. I even had a whole “why do I even paint” moment.
But here’s the thing I’ve learned after years of watercolor: the “ugly stage” is part of the process. The start of a watercolor painting is basically the artistic version of bangs growing out. You’ve just got to push through, trust the system, and eventually you’ll hit that moment where it clicks.
The dinosaurs? Pure fun. I went full research rabbit hole to make sure I included all the major dinos and even kept them somewhat to scale (do not recommend, unless you like spreadsheets of dinosaur stats).
Lesson learned from my safari jungle illustration: paint in layers, not one giant painting. Otherwise, it’s a million hours in Photoshop playing “cut and paste.” This time I painted the dinos in four (!!) separate layers, and I cannot wait to bring them all together.
What I'm Cooking
Confession #2: I’ve been in a little cooking slump lately. When life gets full, dinner is the first thing I drop.
So, I signed up for Pinch of Yum’s fall meal plan and the first one hits this week. I needed someone else to take the mental load of “what’s for dinner,” and I have high hopes after following her and cooking her recipes for FOREVER.
On our table this week:
- My go-to 15-minute meal: sausage + apples + spinach. It’s cozy, fast, and kid-approved. Here’s the recipe.
- Enchilada skillet from Caroline Chambers (her recipes = chef’s kiss). I saw Beach Reads and Bubbly make it so I made it too. Y’all, she was right, it’s delicious. More hits this week from Caro’s book:
- Chicken, rice, and asparagus one-pan with pesto. Bonnie and Nathan inhaled it. Keeper!
- Patty melts + a green salad. Comfort food at its finest.
- Honey mustard chicken with broccoli
- Cajun pasta from Defined Dish, because carbs = joy.
Creative Sparks
Lucy Riser pointed me to Rebecca Atwood’s house tour in Architectural Digest and WOW. It’s dreamy. The patterns, the color, the cozy-but-elevated vibe… If I could mood-board my perfect home, it would basically be screenshots from this tour.
What I'm Reading
Books and I had a little “it’s not you, it’s me” week.
I finished P.S. I Hate You — liked it, didn’t love it. I tried to get into Six of Crows (after hearing everyone rave) but quickly realized: if there are too many weird fantasy names and no strong female lead, my brain taps out. So, DNF.
I’m debating whether to start Silver Elite next. And also quietly counting down because September means we’re only two months away from the avalanche of November new releases. (Book nerd Christmas, basically.)
Coming Up...
This month’s studio goal: release sports, butterflies, and dinosaurs! I spent Friday’s lunch hour blasting power songs and painting something brand new to shake off the week’s chaos. It’s currently in the “ugly stage” (we know her well), but fingers crossed it transforms.
Until next week — may your systems hold, your coffee be strong, and your bird feeders stay squirrel-free.
<3
Katie
