All the Sun For You

October 27, 2015
by Courtney 9 Comments

Something Exciting Is Happening – Two New “Projects!”

(The other day, I revealed my past life as a project manager of multi-million-dollar IT projects.)

I love projects, no matter what they are. EVERYTHING MUST BE A PROJECT!

I used to volunteer for an organization in town and took their main fundraiser from barely breaking even, to bringing in $35,000 annually – and it was just a “beer in the park” event. All of that money was donated to local charities – ALL OF IT. I headed up a 5K fundraiser for a friend with cancer several years ago to raise money to pay their medical bills – and that is probably still my favorite project to date. We raised $12.000 for the family, and they needed it, and it made us all feel good. I wish all projects could benefit someone in some way like that. It’s so much more fun when you’re raising money for someone or something rather than reporting to CIO’s and CFO’s on projects gone awry because of reduced funding, staffing, and time but ever-expanding scope. UGH. (This is why I don’t write about my past life – oh the frustration!)

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Hottie’s parents are moving – downsizing from a massive, beautiful property backing to a forest… to a townhouse. Yeah, it’s bittersweet for them, and for us. They’re doing it, “because it’s the right thing to do,” not because they really want to. Their property is an 8-hour a day job because of my MIL’s insane gardening skills (she’s amazing!) and just the sheer size of the land. For a moment I thought it would be fun to buy it for the land/lot, but then I remembered how much work it would be.

They are getting rid of lots of things. That’s the whole purpose of the move. Hottie’s grandma passed away almost 2 years ago and the work put on my MIL to get the house ready for sale was incredible. She swore then that she would not do that to any of her kids (thank you, MIL!), and she is standing firm on that. This means there are lots of things that they want to take to Goo.dwill or S.alva.tion Ar.my.

STOP!

You can imagine what came out of my mouth when they told me that they’re donating everything.

“I will sell it. Show it to me.”

Holy SHIT.

Their garage was FULL of vintage stuff – like truly vintage, highly desirable stuff. Their house is stocked with vintage things too, but they’re leaving them there for the time being for staging the house to sell. The big gem… well the 4 big gems… vintage “tanker” steel office credenzas/shelves. And not in grey, not in army green. But in TEAL.

I’m no antique enthusiast, but from what I’ve seen on the FB swaps in the 10 months I’ve been active on them, is that this stuff goes FAST and not cheap. I told my FIL that I would take care of posting these, collecting the money, and all he has to do is set them out for people to pick up at a certain time. He agreed but said he wouldn’t take the money, but Hottie and I already know how to force that on them – I refuse to profit from their items. I am just glad to have them in my “claim” so that they’re not given away for free to someone who would sell them for a HUGE profit.

I started researching this and refinished pieces sell for $800-$1500. In this condition, I think I could sell them for $150-$400 a piece (that last one is a highly, highly sought after piece). I am so excited, but of course, I need to find the buyers! Even if I have to sell them for $100 a piece (which is 100% doable), that’s $300 for my in-laws! Add that to the table and chair set I’ll sell of theirs for $100-$150, the retro office swivel chairs for $30-$50 a piece, etc. ad nauseam and we will have a pretty awesome gift card for them when this is all said and done. I am so excited!

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So in the excitement of all of this, I decided that my favorite piece is NOT going up for sale… it’s going in Bryson’s big kid “things that go” room. The room will have teal, so this will fit in great! Hottie’s lucky I’m not abandoning the nursery furniture all together and filling it up with the cabinets above. HA! This is the piece we’re keeping:

When I saw it in the garage, I gasped out loud and immediately wanted to keep it. Now I get to 🙂 I can’t get it home soon enough!

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I will spend this coming weekend measuring, taking better photos, inventorying more things, etc. and I cannot wait! There will be a spreadsheet involved outside of my normal “Items for sale” tracking sheet I’ve been using for my own stuff (I’m about to cross $6,200 in sales since mid-January!). I have a lot more research to do before I post anything, but all of it’s fun! I am in no hurry since I know it will sell fast, and then my project will be done. I am always sad to complete a fun project.

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But WAIT! I said I have two new projects on my hands!

Part of my in-laws’ downsizing is getting rid of exercise equipment that is in terrific shape. They asked if we want it, and we said YES. A dream is coming true for us… we will have a COMPLETE HOME GYM! Of course, now we need to move the sofa sleeper out of the guest room that I worked so hard to find the perfect drapes for, but … WE’RE GETTING A COMPLETE HOME GYM! Our guests can sleep in the theater room – screw ’em. HA! (As Hottie pointed out, the kids will love having the sofa sleeper in there for sleepovers, and we have overnight guests so rarely, that it’s not an issue.)

We already have the treadmill (from my Grandpa – and that thing still purrs like a kitten!), but we’re getting a Life F.it.ness X3 elliptical cross trainer (retailing for $2,000 today) and a HOIST Prime 8 weight machine ($1,000 retail, it appears). Our entire home gym will have only cost us $80 for the mats that are under the treadmill (FIL has the mats for the new stuff). Hottie wants to put mirrors up and hooks to hold our resistance bands, etc. I have race photos framed that I haven’t put up yet, so I’m excited to do that. It’s going to be a bona fide workout room! The only downside is that there will not be room for the kickboxing bag or space to do workout videos. But… that’s OK. (Jos, I’m still thinking on PiYo… a friend offered to sell me her DVDs…)

This is going to be a lot of work. Moving that sofa sleeper out will be hard – getting it in there was awful and we said we’d sell it with the house. HA HA – guess not! Making this all fit will be tricky but it’s do-able. Getting the mirrors up will be a chore, but fun. Hanging the old race photos and memorabilia will truly be a mini-dream come true for me! I just cannot believe it!

I can’t wait!

October 23, 2015
by Courtney 7 Comments

Friday Favorites – Discipline!

Here they are, my favorites of the week! Knowing that I’m writing this post each week, I’m trying to be (and succeeding at being) aware of the good things each day. I feel like this is a little “gratitude journal,” which is always a good thing!

Favorite Parenting Moment of the Week:

Grocery shopping with Bryson – for an hour – with no fits or frustrations from either of us! Check this out!

I usually put him in my cart, but that just isn’t working out these days. He screams, fusses, tries (and succeeds) to climb out, and then I lose my shit. I had a TON of groceries to buy for the week (it’s fall, remember? Soup, Pies, squash, BULK COOKING!) and I just didn’t want to deal with his temper so I let him shop behind me with a kid cart. And it was… HEAVEN! Yes, I said HEAVEN! We shopped together, for an entire hour, and he stayed behind me the entire time and only ran into my ankles twice (and promptly, without solicitation, said a very sincere, “oh, sorry Mommy!”). He was the star of the store – lots of senior citizens shopping at 9:30 AM on a Tuesday – and I was so proud of him! Yes, he fooled everyone into thinking he’s this well-behaved most of the time (believe me, I assured them that this was NOT the norm – keeping it real!), but that’s OK if it means our little charade brings me a peaceful shopping experience with kids!

Favorite Outfit of the Week:

Yeah yeah, so this is very similar to last week’s favorite outfit, but I just love these camo pants! I got compliments everywhere I went, and I did on the GnR shirt as well (which I totally understand, because it is awesome!). The shoes, pants, and graphic tee are different from last week, so cut me some slack. A close second this week, though, was an outfit you’ll see below because of the shoes. I nailed it with the red shoes.

Carry on!

Favorite Meal of the Week:

Oh good lord, we made ~~one of~~ our favorite, FAVORITE paleo recipe this week. Pork and pear stuffed acorn squash. YUMM! I have the recipe pictured in this post. We have a quarter hog in our freezer, all free-range, lean hog (she processes them at 200 pounds when the big farms wait until 300 pounds) and it tastes way better than the other pork out there. I think I touched on this last week. Anyway, this meal hit a warm spot in my heart, being fall and all!

Favorite Purchase of the Week:

As the world knows, I’ve been obsessed with updating our home with photos. While on Shutt.erfl.y the other day, their banner splashed this beautiful holiday dinner table with a table runner with photos. COULD IT BE? Well YES, it was! I got to shopping right away and found this very cute Christmas themed one that goes with my “winter” snowflake dishes so you know, I just had to have it. They were running a 40% off special so YES PLEASE! It came today, it is beautiful, and I’m making one for Hottie’s parents for their housewarming gift (with pics of the entire family – not just us – in case you were wondering!). It is going to kill me not to buy a more “general” themed one for us… but I can control myself. I mean, the boys will destroy this in a New York minute 😉

Favorite Project of the Week:

Pumpkin painting! Yes, I said it – pumpkin painting! I do enjoy carving pumpkins, but honestly… it’s a pain in the butt. I’m so glad that this is a trend right now because my kids do not have the attention span to carve pumpkins and Hottie doesn’t like doing it and I’d get stuck with 3 to carve once they all dropped off like flies. So painting (and foam stickers) it is this year and we were all very happy! Bryson didn’t do one, so I did his and it was awful, as expected. But they’re on the porch, and it looks like we are fun, crafty, involved parents. The pumpkins joined a collection of pumpkins and gourds on our porch which is a first for me… EVER. See, I told you all I’m feeling way better being off the pill!

Favorite Fashion “Lesson Learned” of the Week:

I was a project manager of multi-million dollar technology and security projects prior to deciding to stay home with the kids. I tend to run things in my life like I run projects when I’m working. If I don’t have a project I’m working on, I’m not happy. My obsession with data, metrics, budgets, etc. is probably understandable now that I’ve mentioned my past “working” life. (I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it before… weird.) So when I’m working on a project in my life, I do manage it iteratively like my IT projects, which means constant review and feedback, even if only for myself. HA HA! This fashion “project” has been fun, and involves weekly reviews. I still take daily photos of my outfits and look at them (hell, who am I kidding? I scrutinize them!) each week. The “lesson learned” this week?

I don’t like “boyfriend jeans.” I do not like them at all. They look cute in these photos, but they don’t in person. And I can honestly say that when I see people wearing them in public, I think the same thing. My local fashion guru wears them once in a blue moon and she is thin, thin, thin and they make her look sloppy and not toned. I know they make me look that way too. I’ll still wear them on “off” days when I don’t care too much, but I’m writing them off.

(But look at those red shoes! And the top, that’s in honor of my late grandpa who referred to himself as “the old rooster”)

Favorite Realization of the Week:

Matthew loves his dad, needs his dad, all of the time. Bryson loves his dad too, but Matthew is happiest when his dad is with him. I love watching this, and I love hearing about their adventures when I’m not with them. Hottie took Matthew to a small pumpkin patch on Sunday while Bryson and I ran (to induce his nap). They’d planned to go out to a smaller town, look at some building lots and homes, and come home – but they passed a little pumpkin patch along the way and decided to stop. They had a great time, and I loved looking at their photos! I didn’t feel left out at all – even though we still have to get the boys to the orchard or our local pumpkin patch together. This was their special time, and I love it!

Favorite Photos of the Boys This Week:

Such a ham!

Finally smiling for the camera.. and showing off his shiner

When he saw his dad walk in 🙂

The joy on Matthew’s face is special!

“Get in my belly!” DONE BOWLING!

Favorite Thing I Heard This Week:

So I’ve been in a workout funk, and I know it irritates people when I say that because I’m still working out more than most people… but it’s been hard to do it. It’s been hard to get out there and run, or run on the treadmill while I get my ONE quiet hour of the day. We’ve had absolutely beautiful weather and on Wednesday evening, I took Bryson for a neighborhood run in the dark with me for what I thought would be 3 miles and ended up being over 5 miles (because, you know, it was just so nice outside!). The next morning was just gorgeous, and both kids were in school, and I just knew I had to run because it was so nice out and we’re on borrowed time in regards to the weather. But I didn’t want to. I drove to a good starting point about 2 miles from their school and decided to run “South of Grand,” an area of old majestic homes and, wait for it… lots of hills. What was I thinking? The entire time, I thought to myself, “I hate this. This was stupid.” My muscles ached after the 5 miles not even 15 hours earlier and it was windy, and hilly. I couldn’t catch my stride, I walked up a hill (so embarrassing), my breathing was off. I was shooting for 3 miles, but felt like a wimp so went 4.5. I angrily got in the car and saw a message from Hottie to meet him for coffee if I wanted.

I wanted.

I picked him up, still grumpy. I apologized for my attitude and said, “that was a hard run, not fun. You know, I did it because I had to, because I felt it was a missed opportunity if I didn’t.”

And he said, “No, you did it because you’re disciplined.”

And I smiled.

October 21, 2015
by Courtney Leave a comment

Wordless Wednesday – Old and Busted!

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October 16, 2015
by Courtney 12 Comments

Friday Favorites!

I’ve pretty much figured out what I have in my closet now and how to put it together, so I’m not going to post my weekly outfits anymore. I’ve also figured out that I don’t have to hit it out of the park every day to feel good about how I’m presenting myself. A couple of great outfits a week is a win, and the rest just need to be “put together” which could simply involve a good pants and shoes selection.

So on Fridays, I’ll post my favorites of the week, and this is going to be all over the board. Parenting, fashion, projects, productivity, activities with the kids, etc. There is no “fomat” to this. “Formats” can be boring!

Favorite Parenting Moment of the Week:

This has been a tough week with Bryson – he is very needy and clingy after his naps and whines for about an hour every day. Matthew, on the other hand, has been so easy and sweet, it’s a nice balance. We’ve had a really good month or so with him, and I think 4 is treating us much better than 3 did. This morning, Matthew climbed into our bed because “my toe hurts,” which is code for “I want to snuggle.” I said, “get in and snuggle buggle with me,” and he was out cold almost immediately. It was 4:15 and I could not sleep, because he was in full-on snuggle mode and I couldn’t get comfy. He woke up around 5:30 and couldn’t get comfortable, and I was in a lot of pain in my belly, but he snuggled up on my tummy and finally fell asleep again. He slept like that until 7:15, and it felt magical. I couldn’t sleep from the belly pain, but I was more than happy to let him stay where he was!

Favorite Outfit of the Week:

Sanctuary plaid pants, black cami, Junk Food C’est Bien tank, Zara drape cardigan, Enzo boots

I LOVE this outfit – and so does Hottie! He sent me a text an hour after I left the house telling me how much he loves it, and asked me to send a pic so he could show his coworker (a female who I talk clothes with). I got lots of compliments on this outfit which was surprising since those pants are love ’em or hate ’em. THIS is what I was going for with these pants! And I now know why people love cardigans!

Favorite Meal of the Week:

When we eat at home, we’re pretty much a paleo family. We do not bring grains into the house (unless they’re in the form of Or.eos – HA HA HA!) and there are ABSOLUTELY NO WHITE POTATOES. As people know from my “Paleo Adventure,” I have a fantastic cookbook that we use quite a bit. We bought a quarter hog (free range, grass fed, from my friend’s farm) that’s in the freezer so I made pork and apple sliders last night with my famous carrots (skin on, roasted) and they were great! I ate my 2 patties (5.4 ounces total), Hottie ate his 2 patties, and Bryson ate 1 patty and asked for another (he ate 1/4 of the second one)! (Matthew ate leftover pulled pork – still a win!) The free-range pork is so much better than anything you can buy in the grocery store. Living in Iowa, I know all about hog farms and it’s not good – so we buy very little pork labeled as Hor.mel or grocery store brands. We buy local pork almost ALWAYS, and it is the best choice out there! (My friend also sells me free range chickens and eggs – she’s delivering some this afternoon!)

Favorite Purchase of the Week:

Zara printed blouse (size M, $38), BR skinnys, Ugg boots

I have found a new store (Zara) and it is going to be a very addictive relationship. I love their sweaters and tops, and really want to try a pair of their colored jeans. I ordered our family photo outfits from there and the prices range from cheap ($20 for a dress) to rather expensive ($300 for a coat – don’t worry – I didn’t get one and won’t). Their kids clothes are great and the quality is fantastic. The mens sweaters seem good enough ($22) and the women’s things are just so fun! SPOT ON for me!

I’ve had my eye on this top for 2 weeks and finally ordered it when I ordered the cardigan (above) and our holiday clothes. When it arrived, I knew I was going to love it as much as I had hoped! There is a little ruffle on the back, which I did not realize when I ordered it, but it added a feminine touch. I can always use that!

Favorite Project of the Week:

I have been moving things around, making room for the Halloween stuff. We’re also gearing up for new family photos since our family is complete, and I decided to get out the last ones we had taken and printed that I never got framed. I don’t know what my problem was, I just wasn’t into it. But now with this new wave of energy, I’m actively looking for things to do with the house. I went out and bought reasonably priced frames and got to work. The photo in the middle is a canvas from 4 years ago, and the others are from 2 years ago. I also replaced the “Daddy/Matthew” photo with the “Daddy/boys” photo from our photo shoot 2 years ago. I LOVE this. Our house feels so much warmer now!

I also moved the first birthday “cake smash” photos into the kitchen frames and am moving the photos that were in those frames to our bedroom. Because of the difference in how I feel in my house with photos up versus no photos up, I am in a hurry to make our bedroom “warmer.” And I cannot wait to get the photos from our family shoot in a week – I hope they’re as great as the last two shoots!

What were your favorites of the week?

October 14, 2015
by Courtney 1 Comment

12 Weeks of Maintenance – Half Way Done!

Here I am, half way through my “12 Weeks Until the Holidays” challenge to myself. I really flubbed it this last week – I was so, so sick. If I get sick (that’s a big IF), I’m usually sick for no more than 24 hours. This thing got me for 72 hours – 3 whole days. I was out of energy, suffering a sore throat, and sneezing constantly. I just did not have it in me to run or do any exercise, really. Miraculously, I only gained 0.2 pounds from last week until now, and lost body fat. So, I think it’s fair to say that I’m managing my calorie intake rather well, especially when I’m unable to exercise.

Here are my mid-way stats:

Weight: 141.4 pounds (down 1.6 pounds from my starting weight of 143.0 pounds)
Body Fat %: 22.8% (neither up nor down – started at 22.8%)
BMI: 22.2 (down 0.2 from my starting BMI of 22.4)
Natural Waist Measurement: 27.5 inches (no change from starting measurements)
Belly Button Measurement: 31.75 inches (no change from starting measurements
Hips: 35.75 inches (no change from starting measurements)

Goals for the 12 weeks:

I want to weigh 145 pounds or less every Wednesday
- This goal was 100% met!
My body fat cannot go above 24%
- This goal was 100% met!
I want to keep doing 5 hours a week of vigorous activity
- This was only met one week… most weeks are running about 4.5 hours of activity a week

Thoughts at the Mid-Way Point:

I’m really happy with the main stats of weight and body fat % – to be hitting those goals consistently, week after week, with less than 5 hours of exercise is promising for my busier future
I do need to be more consistent with exercise, and got back on the wagon today with a horrendous 5 mile run – HA!
If I could drop another 1.6-2.0 pounds in the next 6 weeks, I would be under 140 again (I only got under that when I was still nursing Bryson very consistently) which would be pretty awesome!
It’s getting colder outside… it’s time to get back into KB in the garage and INSAN.ITY workouts in the kitchen

October 13, 2015
by Courtney 14 Comments

Something Has Changed

I got my IUD last Thursday, and was done taking the pill the Tuesday just before that. I think my pills had a week of placebos, but I’m not sure. Anyway, I did get the Mer.ena IUD on advisement of Dr. H – he knows that synthetic hormones don’t bother me and he replaces 30% of the copper ones with Mer.enas for his patients within a year because they ask for the change – so it was a no-brainer for me. I trust him – a lot!

I’m not sure how long I’ve been off of the “pill” hormones because of that week of placebo/non-placebo pills, but there has been a major shift in my mood… and in the right direction! I’m a little irritated right now with the IUD because of the spotting, but even that isn’t getting me down. I am so relaxed, so patient, so “go with the flow”… I cannot believe it. Every time the kids get me worked up, I react much more calmly than I did the entire time I was on that damned pill, and even if I holler at them, it’s over and done with in a split second and I’m over it – I do not stew or dwell on it.

I have felt more motivated to DO THINGS, like decorate the house, take the kids to fun things, eat leftovers in the house for lunch (this sounds ridiculous, but if you know me, you know that we go out for lunch EVERY day so this is a big change), finish up craft projects that have been sitting for well over 1.5 years. It’s incredible. I’ve even been sick as a dog (no running or exercise since last Thursday, ironically, the same day I got the IUD) and I am still getting way more done than I did before. It’s… strange. It’s… good!

Oh… and I think a bit of my very limited s*x drive is returning. I even initiated things happily last night. Ha ha!

October 13, 2015
by Courtney 12 Comments

Matthew’s Room Is D.O.N.E.

So this is embarrassing, but this little project has been started for well over 1.5 years, and it’s been hanging over me. I sold all of my craft stuff in February because there’s no point in hanging onto things that don’t interest me anymore, but I kept this project because I knew I wanted to finish it. This was the final touch for Matthew’s room and the wall above his bed has been so bare compared to the rest of his room.

Until now.

It’s done… and I LOVE it!

Finally… it’s done!

I stood in his room to see his reaction. It was almost as awesome as his excitement over the Halloween decorations yesterday 😉

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October 12, 2015
by Courtney 6 Comments

Monday Snapshot – Holiday Mojo

I love Halloween…. It is by far my favorite holiday! I take both my Halloween and Christmas decorating very seriously, but have sort of sat out the last 3 years because of the kids. They were just too young to understand that they can’t touch everything. And honestly, it was depressing. So today, I threw caution to the wind and got out almost all of the Halloween stuff (I skipped the large wood prop-up cut outs since they’d just be knocked over. Next year, maybe…), including bathroom rugs and towels, dishes and placemats, front door hangers and door mats, and various hand towels. It felt so gooooood, and the kids are loving it!

October 9, 2015
by Courtney Leave a comment

Fashion Overhaul Week 4

This week – well – I’m just skating by. It’s another hot week here and I’ve taken to wearing jeans and graphics. It’s an acceptable look, but I’d like to put some fall things on! I went out with the girls on Tuesday night so dressed up a bit – I figured a graphic tee and Keds would be no good for a night out with a few of the gals whose style I envy. HA!

So Thursday I got my IUD, andI was going to be comfortable for that – no one at the OB clinic cares what I wore in there when I’m wrapped in a drape from the waist down – not even Dr. H. HA! I’m glad I was comfy because that was NOT FUN, holy hell. I vegged the rest of the night in those soft pants, oh yes I did! Friday, I got out my awesome new moccasins because it was chilly! By mid-afternoon, I was crampy and sick as hell (head cold), so changed jeans. Take a look – the only difference is the jeans – and look how much better the skinnys look with the same sweater and shoes. AMAZING. (In all fairness, those jeans are size 10 and I’m a 4-6 in BR now, but I bet those would have been an 8 in today’s measurements so they are 1-2 sizes too big.) The BR jeans were what I would have worn before this overhaul. I’m so happy I’m doing this!

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I know my goal is to look like a put together preschool mom, not a work-outside-the-home mom. When you run 3 mornings a week while your kid is at school, it leaves little time to get ready for the day. I get home, shower, dry my hair (if I’m lucky), put on my minimal makeup, and get dressed quickly before going to pick up Matthew. It’s a whirlwind. The fact that I’m not slipping on running shoes or Chacos is a big deal. And the fact that my jeans are all current trends and not 3 + years old is a win! So, I’m not trying to be hard on myself!

Now that I’ve got some fun graphic tees on the way to my house, I thought it wise to inventory what I have already. Here is my collection… the red and white one is not something I’d wear in public, but it’s a tender joke between Hottie and me so I wear it at home. 🙂 The pink one was in the bottom of my drawer and had been 100% forgotten for years – what a find!

And finally, my two tops that I bought for those plaid pants arrived today and…. “hello, lover!” I am in love… I feel like I’ve been waiting for that off-white blouse my entire life! And the tank, well…. that’s just perfection!

(Hottie picked up my delivery today from the porch and I think he may be starting to fear that little red tag you see on the white top – what he doesn’t know is that I STOLE that shirt – it was one hell of a deal!)

October 8, 2015
by Courtney 4 Comments

Painterly

The term painterly is used to describe a painting done in a style that embraces, shows, and celebrates the medium it’s created in (be it oil paint, acrylics, pastels, watercolor, etc.), rather than tries to hide the act of creation.

In centuries past (and in various modern art movements such as Photorealism) painters worked hard to eliminate or conceal any evident brushmarks or texture in a painting, blending and smoothing to hide all evidence of how the painting was created.

It doesn’t meant the paint has to be thick or impasto, it can be thin. The style or approach just doesn’t try to hide the fact that a brush or knife were used to create the artwork, it uses this to create an image that could only be done with paint (or art materials).

My most recent creation, for the holiday I love the most! I cannot get over how calming this is for me – I enjoy nothing more than sitting down and painting for a couple of hours. So cathartic, and so introverted!