Cheryl Thrower Art Gallery on Display August 17th

I am so excited about our newest artist on display in our rotating art gallery.  Cheryl Thrower is a former student of mine, and her talents are impressive.  She is currently a student at SCAD majoring in animation, and she has been working all summer to create a new collection entitled "Momentum."  Her work will be all originals, all distinctly Cheryl, and all wonderfully inventive and original.  Her aesthetic is organic, playful, feminine, and romantic.  You will be so impressed by this young artist, and I know you will want to purchase every one of her pieces.  You can see her work beginning August 17th at 5pm.

I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to [make pizza].

North Forsyth High School Literary Magazine Art Gallery

A former student of mine recently called me an "engine of art," and I would have to say that it was one of the best compliments I have received in a very long time.  I am the literary magazine sponsor at North Forsyth High School, and I helped to begin the magazine along with a very small group of highly committed students -- all engines of art themselves. We are on our third year, and each year we try something new.  This year, our new thing, which hopefully will become an annual thing, is an art gallery/open mike night to honor those students whose voices and imaginations are captured in our newest magazine, "Gradient."  We will honor these students at Mia's Pizza.  Almost every piece of art published in our magazine will hang on the walls of Mia's.  On Monday, May 3rd, the writers and artists, along with their families, will come together for an hour of fellowship and celebration.  I am so excited about this night.  We will have a microphone, a speaker, and young writers sharing their words and thoughts.  All art on display will also be on sale to help us raise the funds we need to maintain the publication.  The NFHS Literary Magazine Art Gallery will hang until May 26 for all to see.  What a wonderful way to pay tribute to these young students. 

Keep on the lookout for future art galleries at Mia's.  We plan to make it a regular thing.  And if you are an artist interested in displaying your work with us, please contact me with your ideas and some work samples.

The life which [has no pizza] is not worth living.

The yellowy, pollinated haze of an April day furthers my spirit's intoxication as I watch Mia.  I can watch her little fuzzy headed smiling self walk over and greet me in the mornings, or I can watch her hum a little tune with the sweetest voice I have ever heard.  I can watch her dump out a bowl of bottle caps and then one-by-one plop them back into a cup, or I can watch her pick up rocks and tuck them safely away in her jacket pocket.  It doesn't matter what she does; in her presence, I am in awe, I am happy, I am whole.

Time has slowed down for me these past few days, so I can focus on what is most important in life, and that is most definitely her.  We have been working on a surprise art project to give Daddy as a gift to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the restaurant.  We have also been reading lots of books about pizza -- we have many.  We have even been making our own "pizzas" out of homemade play dough.  Whatever we do, there seems to be pizza involved. 

Homemade Play Dough Recipe

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 4 teaspoons cream of tarter
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• food coloring of choice (I prefer the gel kind -- more vibrant)
• Mix dry ingredients first.  Add wet ingredients.  You can make one large batch of the same color, or you can split the batch into four smaller batches and make a rainbow of colors. 
• Heat over low heat (I use a nonstick frying pan), stirring constantly for 2-4 minutes. 
• Knead well.
• Store in an airtight container indefinitely.