!So today was so awesome (mostly)! I woke up knowing I had my very first big night at my new job. I'm working at an art gallery/school. I teach some classes and then do some art outreach. For my first big not just kid event, I did a Bad Art Night. Bad Art Night is supposed to be a liberating experience where you come, learn about a contemporary artist and then make a work that is kind of a parody of their work. We call it bad so people are not afraid to participate. When you tell someone to make bad art, it allows them to more easily venture out of their comfort zone creatively.
I was a little worried no one would come. The organization told me that a lot of first events are not very well attended. So, I worked really hard to make this awesome. I promoted my event on facebook. I talked about it with everyone I ran into. I got a couple of older wives on base so excited they told their friends too. I was a promoting machine.
So, today I wake up knowing that this is my make it or break it experience. After walking Max, I still had a ton of nervous energy, so I decided to bake goodies to take to my event. Normally, I am a great baker. Today was a bad baking day. First, the espresso cookies I made turned out half good and the other half terrible. I think my oven was having a bad day. So, I ended up with half a batch of cookies to take. Then, I decided to make dark chocolate and white chocolate tea bread. I've made it before and I really liked it, so I wasn't worried. I didn't get it out of the bread machine in time to bake it in a bread pan. So, I wait for the bread machine to cook it. The timer went off, it looked done. I flipped it upside down to get the paddle out and weirdly enough, the paddle started sinking. This should have been a red flag. After I get it out, I flip the loaf over only to have a large portion of unbaked middle pour out onto my counter. I turned on the oven, put the loaf in a pan and pile the batter back in. It took almost another half hour to bake the center and then the bottom was kind of crispy.
The only success in baking was new recipe I tried. It was tuscan thumbprint cookies. I found the recipe in last month's Better Homes and Gardens. I'll probably post that recipe tomorrow.
So, after I finish baking, I need about two glasses of wine to calm down. I know I'm ready for the event, but all the baking mishaps have bruised my confidence. After I shower and get ready, I realize I need to iron my blouse that I'm going to wear. It's a really cute orange blouse from H&M. It has the ruffley pleaty thing in the middle. It's a huge pain to iron. So, as I'm trying to iron tiny pleats, I burn my finger on the iron. After finally getting ready, I was a few minutes late getting to my prep time for the event, but I made it.
After all my kitchen mishaps, Bad Art Night was awesome. Everyone even like my salvaged baked goods.
So, now I'm going to grab a Stella and then go find my husband to skype with my inlaws.
Time to relax!
