Busy week -> Early weekend

This has been a busy Monday-Wednesday. I am so happy we have Thursday and Friday for "independent studies", which translates itself in my mind as 4 day weekend with a side of homework. God forbid a teacher reads this! 

(In that case, I love to diligently work on school projects at home and I will try not to spend my time doing everything and anything that sounds more fun!)

I have some pictures to share from Sunday and this week, so I may as well get started!

Sunday:

(The Finnish poet) Runeberg's day = Runeberg Torte Day

Runeberg Torte is a kind of cupcake made with cookie/bread crumbs, flour and ground almonds. It's buttery and crumby and delicious. 

They are baked with a drop of (raspberry) jam in the center. After cooling, you add a bit more jam and a ring of powdered sugar/water icing. Traditionally, you are supposed to add rum to this. Unfortunately (or is it?) we didn't have any rum on hand, the only alcoholic beverage would have been hubby's beer.

(Read more about this traditional Finnish dessert  here!, non-Finns!)

These are gluten-free because my parent's were coming over for dinner and dessert! Always fun! :)

Later that evening, inspired by my decision and days of research and thought, I broke out the oil pastels and started practicing. ...This was at 10.30 pm on a school night... BUT oil pastels will be the medium for my self portrait (because they can be used on paper and they dry quickly), which will hopefully aid me in getting into art school, so I figured practice is good practice no matter the time!

I am still obsessed with learning more, and very pleased with how the orange rose turned out, although the colors are something I have to get used to. I looooove oil paints but nothing else is like oil paint! I've yet to see any medium produce the kind of colors and variety that make painting fun. 

However, these are supposed to be the next best thing. I read somewhere online that oil pastels were invented in the 1920s, but perfected by Sennelier per request by Pablo Picasso. Apparently, he wanted to draw but still wanted to paint... Sums them up pretty well. I was using a small brush and small dabs of turpentine to blend the colors. (I just can't let go of painting!)

ALSO on Sunday night (geez, I was hyperactive!), I played around with sock buns, and curls. I will have to show you sometime the before and after, it's pretty cool. I have gotten better since Sunday, at least the curls this fine Wednesday morning were a lot nicer than the  ones on Monday! Lol! I was a skeptic when I first saw this stuff months ago, but it really works! And it's not hard to do! (I'm proof of that!)

I learned about sock curls through pinterest, here is the link to learn more!

Monday:

Monday the moon looked gorgeous, but by the time I set up the tripod etc, it disappeared behind massive clouds. 

Tuesday:

We had fun at school applying wrist and leg casts to each other. I was nervous about it because I get claustrophobic easily (like if I try a shirt on at a store that is too small and I get my arms stuck, I silently panic!). Fortunately, it wasn't so bad and we all had more than a few laughs. 

 I took my body parts home on the bus with me. Needless to say, I got more than a few odd looks! 

 Later Tuesday evening, the moon came out (no clouds to be seen!) but it was being difficult. I couldn't get a clear photo because of the glare that the layers of glass produce...and we don't have a zoom lens so it was a speck.

Fortunately, I got to practice something else and realized I could write with the moon! I contently scribbled away, making lots of shapes and blobs! 

 Of course I had to make a heart! 

Wednesday:

I am taking it easy tonight. I've already got my pajamas on at 5 p.m. and I am making brownies for dinner. I also am going to be very naughty and start yet another crochet project. Ok, so it's now going to be my 4th WIP and we are only in February, but who's counting?! 

I'm envisioning a hat and scarf. This is Novita Puro, the color is luumupuu (plum tree). It is variegated and I have been holding on to some of this since 2010, some since last November. Glad I finally figured out what to do with it! 

So that makes the WIPs

1) pink hexies

2) granny squares

3) baby things... (is the mother to be reading this?!) ;)

4) plum hat and scarf. 

I guess I will be busy this extended weekend... 

Thanks for reading!