Creative Food - It's not what you think!

Chefs get creative with food; the rest of us just eat it, right?

I'm not a chef, but I'm going to suggest a new way of looking at food - in miniature. It's as realistic, as yummy looking, and --- no calories!

I think you'll agree. Check out this amazingly realistic food, and try not to drool!

(The food is dollhouse scale, made of polymer clay. Many of the dishes are smaller than 1" in size!)



* Sam in Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery finds some amazing miniatures as she searches for a lost (mini) Van Gogh!

Have a Play Day!

You're never too old to have a Play Day or Play Date. It isn't something just for babies or toddlers.

Dogs have play days, so why shouldn't you?

You're never too old to play. Scientists say play is a vital part of childhood. It unleashes the imagination. It encourages creativity. It lets a child work out their fears or worries.

The same is true for teens and adults. Let yourself have fun. Do something that lets your creativity loose. Draw. Color. Dress a doll. Play with miniatures. (Pictured is the witch's greenhouse I'm working on. More pix, see my blog.) Make a card. Do rubber stamping or make a scrapbook page. Try a new hobby.

Enjoy yourself! You'll feel better. You'll have a better, more balanced view of life. You'll smile. And we all can use more of those, can't we?

** I collect miniatures. And Sam, with her bff Lita, are hunting for a lost miniature painting in Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery. Many of the miniatures described are in my collection. I'll be sharing some of those photos soon.

Kids (& Characters) Just Wanna Have Fun

I'm working on a long-belated project - digging out photos of the miniatures that are mentioned in my book, Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery. Okay, call it a "forgotten" project, coming soon to a blog near you.

This got me thinking about the kinds of things we do in our spare time for fun. Characters, too. After all, who wants to read about someone that does absolutely nothing? BO-RING!

Being curious, my character, Sam and her bff Lita, find themselves enjoying their search for the missing miniature replica of Van Gogh's famous painting, "Starry Night." (That's it pictured. Yes, it's a real oil painting done by an artist. See some other Van Gogh related things in miniature at my blog).

When they finally get into the cranky housekeeper's home by a ruse Sam thought was pretty clever (at first), they discover a whole new world, okay, a small world.

You see, the housekeeper Mrs. Drake is a dollhouse miniatures collector. Why? Because I the author am, too.

The fun of writing is being able to share your own interests, and let the characters - and you, the reader - explore new places, things, and ideas. Even the characters get to have fun and "play" a little.

Life - fictional and real - shouldn't be all work, and no play. So, don't forget to have some fun today, okay?

* Your Turn: What's your hobby? What do you like to do in your spare time?

-- Christine Verstraete is author of Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery

You can buy the book by clicking here.