The Back Porch - A Front View

Just one more sketch from my Florida trip. 

I'm kind of obsessed with that mixture of orange and dusty turquoise that they use on the building and sign.

Whenever we visit Destin, there seem to be a few places we always visit. We must go to Banana Bars and we must eat at The Back Porch. A trip across the street to the Candymaker to pick up some freshly made salt water taffy and pralines is also mandatory.

The Back Porch sits right next to the ocean. Usually, the window along the beach side are open to catch the breezes and the ceiling fans stir up just enough air to keep it comfortable. Chloe loves the crab claws and the fact that the meal is served on a frisbee. We love the setting and the red snapper.

 

 

The Back Porch - Destin, Florida

Every time we go to Florida, we eat at a place called The Back Porch. It sits right against the beach and during nice weather they fling the shutters open next to the tables. They have fried crab claws (my daughter's favorite), and various fish sandwiches. I used to always just get the fish and chip platter, but this time tried the grilled red snapper. Pro tip: Get the grilled red snapper. 

Flashback Friday: On Clothespins and Not Over-thinking

At some point in 2013 I doodled those blue flowers along the edge of the page. I had every intention to go back and draw something to go with them when I came up with "a great idea". Fast forward a year without touching this sketchbook. In 2014 I found myself with a bit of time and wanted to get back to drawing. Unsurprisingly enough, the way to get back into drawing is to sit your ass down and draw*.

Really most creative pursuits, and actually now that I think about it, most pursuits in general, require you to just put in the time. It's very easy to put off doing anything until you're ready, or good enough, or have the best ideas, or tools. The thing is, without just showing up and putting in time with whatever you have on hand, you will never develop skills and most importantly will never actually spend time doing what you love. 

So sometimes that means drawing clothespins because they are the closest things at hand. Sometimes they end up on a page with blue flowers because if you wait for the "great idea" to come you'll waste a year doing nothing.

So here's to flowers, and clothespins and not over-thinking.

*I think I have a bright future in making motivational signs.

Red Snapper

On vacation, once I realized that I would be spending the afternoons in my bedroom, I got smart and grabbed a few things at the beach to sketch later. One day my daughter brought home a seashell, another day it was a piece of seaweed.*

At no point did either my daughter or myself bring home the red snapper - although that would have been a great story for my family to tell friends about later. Maybe my nephews would fondly remember the time their quirky Aunt Kate lugged home a dead fish and dragged it up to her bedroom.

*The seaweed would dry up into a little poky mess once out of the water for a while. As soon as you dropped it in water, it would slowly soften and then puff back up to its' original state. This is a fun trick to show to a six year old.

Flashback Friday: Irish Cream Cremosa

Here is my only other sketch from 2013 - a plastic cup. Please everyone, calm down. I know the wild thrill of seeing a plastic cup illustration could be overwhelming - deep breaths will help you center yourself. 

This sketch actually is pretty exciting for me - but more for the associations I have with it than with the actual drawing. It was the first time in many many moons that I was out in the world by myself. It felt incredibly luxurious to sit in a coffee shop and have a drink. I also remember checking my watch every two minutes to make sure I wouldn't be late to pick my daughter up. Such is parenthood.

While sketching it was entertaining to eavesdrop on the conversations going on in the coffee house. There was a college-aged couple that I would guess were out on some sort of date. He was talking about Montreal and how different the politics are here. She talked about going to San Francisco or New York after graduation - and how in ten years there will be jobs when all the old people retire - and how her generation will change everything.

I tried this drink at Aimee's Coffee House today while Chloe was in ballet class. It's made up of half and half, soda water, and Torani Irish Cream syrup. It was decent - you just have to be prepared for the soda water to give it a little bite. 

Palm Husk

A few weeks ago we went on a family reunion/vacation to Destin, Florida. By we, I mean my daughter and I. My husband just started a new job and needed to stay home.* This made it a bit of a rough but still fun trip for her (and her mama too). It helped a bit when she would take some downtime from all the excitement by going to our room with just the two of us. While there I sat and sketched a bit to pass the time.

This palm was right outside of our window. It had a bunch of vines growing in the husk** just below the leaves. The really interesting thing was that the vine wasn't attached to the ground.

*Boo. Boo I say. Hooray for his new job but seriously - boo.

**I'm sure that there is a scientifically correct term for this area. I do not know this term. I am going to make a bold statement here that even if it isn't called a husk - it should be. It's just very husk-y.

Flashback Friday: Carnation, Trumpet, and Egg

Whew. I got back from Florida last week and came home to a scanner that had died. The new one arrived today and I'm testing it out*. I should have a sketch or two from vacation ready to go next week.

In the meantime, here is a one from 2013.

Chloe got this little frog toy from the eye doctor. "I'm so glad Carnation was still in the treasure chest. In fact, I think she was just the frog I was waiting for."

*By "testing it out" I mean shaking my curmudgeon fist to the heavens and weeping. I hate that it takes time to learn the ins and outs of new equipment.