Underpainting, the first step in creating a portrait.

You can see how Russell has incorporated details from other photographs, showing a bit more of Bao's lovely little tail and mercifully eliminating my large, colorful rump! As someone who loves paintings but can't paint, I find the process intriguing.

Meanwhile, 'tis the season to eat, and get fat. We attended a scrumptious party to celebrate the opening of Headlines, where I have my hair done. Yummy savory meatballs, little sandwiches, dips, cheese and a French custard-filled chocolate layer cake made with Kahlua. Irresistable.

The shops and grocery stores are already full of wonderful, holiday goodies. You know it's almost Christmas when caviar (at $38 per ounce) appears at Costco. I always thought "malossol" meant Russian, but it doesn't. It just means salted.

On to Trader Joe's, where I barely managed to drag myself away from the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake (on sale at just $1.99 and containing 450 calories per slice) only to succumb to the Chocolate Croissants in the next freezer case. These are almost as much fun to prepare as they are to eat. You have to put them out on a baking tray to rise the night before. And do they rise! By morning, each croissant is the size of a small loaf of bread. But light as a feather. Close your eyes, and you're in Paris.

There's an Art Walk tonight, featuring wine and food from a new bistro, but I have to go to my HOA's Annual General Meeting. Probably just as well.