Written by With a prompt of warm colors today, the options were completely limitless. Yet, I somehow managed to end up with a doodlewash of some cherry tomatoes from the grocery. They were literally the first thing that popped into my head as I think these little tomatoes are rather pretty each time Philippe and I pass them on our grocery trips. The plastic shell is a dead giveaway, of course, that they aren’t going to be really farm fresh when it comes to actually eating them, but they can at least add a warm burst of color to salad. Though going to the grocery can often seem like a chore to some, Philippe and I adore grocery stores. It’s the first thing we rush to gleefully when we visit Paris and just about everywhere else we travel. It’s fun to see how the offerings change just a bit or in the case of Europe, quite a lot. Though we are certainly sad to leave Paris because of our friends and family, it’s also a bit bittersweet to say goodbye to all of those products that we simply can get back home. Our grocery obsession is simply an offshoot of our love of food in general. And as Thanksgiving approaches next week, we’re already starting to get a bit giddy with excitement!
We have no family here to celebrate Thanksgiving with, so one would likely assume we’d just give up bothering with it and go out have a lovely Chinese dinner. But, thankfully, Philippe has embraced this day, which was totally new to him when he arrived, and gets excited to create the full traditional Thanksgiving menu. Well, traditional items reimagined by a culinary Frenchman (the recipe for his stuffing in in our cookbook and it’s the highlight of the day! Delish!). Since Philippe cooks by feel most all of the time, he often asks me what he put in something or how he prepared it. I assume he must just be talking out loud to himself in reality, because the thought of me actually knowing anything about cooking is ludicrous. Though I have gotten good at remembering ingredients for things on our grocery trips and can often remind him if he’s forgotten something. I feel a little glow in those moments as though I’m somehow helpful after all in the kitchen, beyond the cleaning up.
And as darkness falls almost before we get home from work these days, the brightest light can still be found in my heart. I adore this season and every little routine and ritual that it brings. Even without our extended family, we still have a wonderful time with our little family of three. Phineas will get a little extra something in his bowl over the holidays, and his dad and I will enjoy evenings filled with sparkling candlelight. In the rush of the day, I only hope to pause long enough to enjoy each evening and make the season last as long as it should. This year, time seems to be sailing by, and though I’m excited for the upcoming holidays, I’m even happier when the anticipation lingers just a bit longer. I have a profound love of all of the simple things in life. I can’t imagine that life would mean much of anything at all without them. Though I adore the events ahead, I think most of the time, I love the moments in between the most. The little ones that I probably won’t remember even a few days later. Or the practically silly ones that defy definition, like that moment I sat down to quickly doodle a plastic box of grocery store tomatoes.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Aureolin, Quinacridone Red, Terra Cotta, and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Love reading your posts about the holidays!!
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕
I love your tomatoes in their plastic container. Weirdly, as I read your ramble, I had a vision of a Christmas tree done up with tomatoes as ornaments. It was rather pretty, if impractical. I won’t have the chance to travel to Paris, but ‘hey! Who else got to travel to Tomato Tree world?
That is too funny!
hehe! I adore that tree, Sandra!! 😃💕 I think a Christmas Tree done up in tomatoes would be perfectly lovely!
I am so ready to start Christmas! I’ve been watching the Hallmark Christmas movies since they started in Oct. 😛 This year I plan on simplifying my decor and spend more time enjoying them. Just the 2 trees and paring down the table top decorations, which will still be more than the normal household. Lol Oh, and I hate to cook ;p
hehe!! Yay Lori! 😃💕 I’m so happy you’re enjoying the Hallmark movies! They’re the best!! And I’m not just say that because I produced one! 😉 And I’m sure your home will be lovely! I hate to cook as well, but thankfully married well… lol… If it weren’t for Philippe we’d all be eating cereal in my house. 😊
I’ll have to look that up! Was it a Christmas one? If so, I’ve probably have seen it. Wow, now I am really honored to internet know you. 🙂
hehe! Thanks! It was fun to DO! 😉 They were the Northpole movies and really fun to work on… this is the first one – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3595848/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Oh my gosh! I just watched the Open For Business one yesterday! Too funny. I love that series. You just made my day. I am sort of friends with a Hallmark movie producer…….tehe. Can’t wait to tell hubby!
hehe!!…yes! And we’re totally friends! I can’t thank you enjoy for your comments and encouragement of my little rambles! 😃💕 That definitely makes you a friend of mine!
It’s a joy to read about how much you enjoy your life! I can imagine the sweetness of the tomatoes – they look yummy.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 Yeah, my live is sweet… even when it gets crazy, it still manages to produce a bit of awesomeness!
Thanksgiving really snuck up on me this year with it being so early in the month. Tomorrow Joe will shop while I’m at the doctor. We have company for a long weekend so I have to menu plan for four days. The best part is after eating, I say, Well, I cooked, so you guys clean up. And they do.
As to tomatoes, the ones in my garden, or anyone’s garden for that matter, are something I and incredibly grateful for. I love to trundle out to my beds in late July and pick and eat a ripe tomato while looking over everything. One of the best taste treats in the world. And I also love to crush a leaf in my hand because I really enjoy that smell. I froze a bunch of tomatoes this summer, so come January I plan on tasting summer sauce on my spaghetti and flipping through seed catalogs for the next season’s seeds.
Yeah, Thanksgiving is crazy early this year! Yikes! hehe… I hope we’re prepared, but still so excited for the prospect! 😃💕 And yes!!! That smell of crushing a leaf in your hand… nothing better! And please be aware that I’ll be heading to your home in January to enjoy that amazing spaghetti sauce!! hehe
You would be absolutely welcome!
hehe! Yay! 😃💕 I would love that!
“…the brightest light can still be found in my heart.” This is the way I would describe you. Wonderful post, Charlie. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Philippe.
Thanks, Shari! 😃💕So happy you enjoyed this one. I’m thrilled for the lovely bit of tiny family time ahead.
I loved the story n plastic box filled with tamato.
Thanks Charlie.
Thanks so much, Snehlata! 😃💕So happy you enjoyed this!
Nice painting of the plastic container!
Thanks so much, Anita!! 😃💕
Early on, in my journey into doodlewash, I once asked, “what is your secret.”
You gave a very satisfactory reply but Charlie’s wisdom of the day tops it..
Charlie says,
“I have a profound love of all of the simple things in life.”
You show your heart and soul in those few words, and beautiful it is .
Thanks my friend! 😃💕I’m so thrilled you enjoy this little posts. And I think we may actually be long lost siblings in our love of the simple things. 😉
I like that!
Simply charming! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Cindy! 😃💕
Such pretty cute to tomatoes. Your drawing reminded me that I am growing cherry tomatoes in my veranda….they’re couple of inches tall …cant wait to see the tomatoes pop out of them…
Aww.. that’s awesome! So jealous of your veranda tomatoes! 😃💕 Yum!