I'm Late.... I'm Late... Actually I Am Early.

This week I launched my new website www.dianacummings.com before schedule! Please check it out and let me know what you think. Now that I have a bit more free time I started thinking about how I would love to throw a Tea Party for Valentine's Day.  Have a few of my Bridge friends over for a 'lil soiree.  Since I am several weeks early I thought I would share with you my thoughts, so if you were inspired to throw your own Tea Party you would still have time....

First off, I really like this idea for the invites:

Click Here For  How to Make Them

As for Decorations:

I like the idea of using mismatched chairs, cups, saucers, teapots and plates etc.  The more mismatched the madder ;).  As for a table cloth, I want to incorporate red not just for Valentines Day but to make a play on the Queen of Hearts.  I suggest using a red and white gingham print (picnic print) - you may already have fabric or tablecloth like that for picnics. If not splurge and then you can use it again come summer. 

For napkins I would use assorted cloth ones that don't match each other or the table cloth.

For centerpieces I would  teapots (thrift stores often have many neat ones) and fill them with not tea but lots of flowers. If you went conservative on the plates, napkins, tablecloth etc - I would mix up the flowers - crazy vibrant bouquets.  But if you decor is already Mad Hattered I would use all white flowers in the different colored/patterned tea pots with a pop of red either with a heart shaped something or even use wire floral picks and place red playing cards in the arrangement.  My inspiration came from this picture:

FUN:

Ask your guests to wear a mad hat!! Do a blind tea tasting. Play Croquet!  Play the Who Am I game.  Write down each character from Alice in Wonderland on a note-card. When they bring there key from their invitation for admission to the party,  use a bobby pin or hair clip and clip the character in their hair or on their hat but don't tell them who they are. During tea they will have a chance to ask yes or no questions to discover who they are.  Instead of directly announcing they figure it out - they should then assume that character's personality for the rest of the tea. 

Next week I will cover food fit for a Mad Hatter Tea Party. 

January....... Update

It is hard to believe we are 19 days into the new year already. For most people January is a slow and an uneventful month. Many choose to stay home and avoid spending money so they can pay off bills from the Holidays.  It is cold outside most places, and after a busy Holiday season many choose not to have parties and events.  Many wait until tax checks start rolling in and life picks up in February with Valentines day and picks up steam with March and into April as the weather starts warming up.

However, as one never to go with the flow, I have been incredibly busy! The launch of my newly redesigned website is just a few days away.  I am seeking out many new ventures while still trying to find the time to paint, cook and enjoy quiet time.

I am sure those of you reading this don't turn to my blog simply to read me rambling on... Perhaps its the art posts, or the recipes or the re-purposing and creative decorating ideas or the odd ball post about a wacky holiday or awareness about something serious. So to close this weeks blog I offer you a favorite soup recipe in honor of January being of all things National Soup Month...

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• plain yogurt

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
4. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.

National Stalking Awareness Month

From the inception of this blog I have covered many topics, most of them tied to art in on way or another. Sometimes they have just been fun and whimsy. The "experts" say that social networking and blog posts should be upbeat and pleasant especially if your marketing yourself or business (as an artist, a musician, an accountant, a business owner etc.) because followers want to be happy and not be reminded of less than happy things.

I have conformed to the formula and agree that I do not want to read depressing post after depressing post. However, the internet, blogging and social media are amazing instruments in which to promote awareness about different topics.

This month is National Stalking Awareness Month. Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage regarding Disney Star and singer Selena Gomez' stalker.  We often here about celebrities being stalked but most stalkers stalk non celebrities.

A Few Facts About Stalking in America

1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually in the United States.

1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men will be stalked in their lifetime.

77% of female and 64% of male victims know their stalker.

87% of stalkers are men.

59% of female victims and 30% of male victims are stalked by an intimate partner.

81% of women stalked by a current or former partner are also physically assaulted by that partner.

The average duration of stalking is 1.8 years.

If stalking involves partners, the average duration of stalking increases to 2.2 years.

61% of stalkers made unwanted phone calls; 33% sent or left unwanted letters or items; 29% vandalized property; and 9% killed or threatened to kill a family pet.

28% of female victims and 10% of male victims obtained a protective order.

69% of female victims and 81% of male victims had the protection order violated.

Tjaden & Thoennes. (1998). "Stalking in America," NIJ.


Stalking is a serious issue that many people ignore.  Women who are divorced or separated from their husbands and College women are the most susceptible but no one is immune. Stalking is often a precursor to more serious crimes including murder. If you think you  or someone you know is being stalked please reach out for help. Every single state has stringent stalking laws - California has the most stringent ones in existence For more information please visit:

Stalking Awareness Month

Fact Sheet 

Stalking Victimization

National Center For Victims Rights

Finding Repurpouse in the New Year......

I apologize in advance for gloating about the amazing California weather we are having this week.  It currently is 75 degrees outside.  I know that many of you are in below freezing weather and so this blog is really for you and when all you California friends start having rainy weather that drives you inside, you can re-read this and do some of these wonderful projects.

Art and decoration are two of my favorite things on Earth.  Being green about it makes me even happier.  In exploring the blogosphere I have chosen some of the ideas I like the best: 

Book-Inspired Centerpieces

If you're a bookworm with an e-reader now, you may find that your old books are collecting more dust than ever before. Though we're all for donating them to a library, save a few choice hardcovers and get creative. We love the idea of turning them into mini shelf displays, hide-a-key vessels or even coffee table centerpieces. Here some great ideas.

Color Wheel Design

For the moms out there who may be sick of seeing half used crayons go to waste why not create some funky art to hang in kids' rooms or in the den? We love the idea of melting some crayons to a canvas. Super simple, colorful and a great way to get rid of left-over crayons the kids have forgotten about. I found this project its totally worth checking out.

Vases Aren't Just for Flowers

If you are like me you have dozens of vases hanging around the house collected from arrangements over the years.  Use them to decorate.  Here are 11 ways to reuse a vase.

Go Big with the Dresser

Do you have a dresser hiding in a back room or closet because it has seen better days? Revamp it and use as an end table, decorative storage, the possibilities are endless. Try this article for great ideas and help.