A Closer Look at Ottoman

New to Me

A few things that are new to me....

1 & 2. Dragon Fruit: I hadn't heard of this or seen it before, but was kindly offered a piece. It has an odd dry watermelon texture, seeds similar to kiwi, an exterior that reminded me of a fuchsia artichoke, and a flavor most similar to cucumber. I didn't notice any sweetness to the flavor, but maybe it wasn't fully ripe? I'm not sure I'd get it again for what I'm sure is an exotic fruit price tag. I love my local produce! But it was fun to try something new.

3. The Hardy Boys: I've known about this for a bit, but I hadn't known about this children's book series as a child. I got the first book for Boo (the mid-century language may sound a bit foreign to him, but I think that's good), who seems to like a good mystery. This series is the boy counterpart to Nancy Drew.

4. The best chocolate bar (so far)!: this combination of dark chocolate, large and numerous chunks of almonds, and subtle sea salt is simply amazing. Included is a love poem, which I have yet to read. Yum!

Knight Vampire Skeleton with a Bat Mask

Knight Vampire Skeleton with a Bat Mask is the official title of what Boo was for Halloween. I think T. Rex would approve that it was scary enough.

In other news, I may do a large shop update soon. I usually list items when they are finished and photographed, but I've been sitting on several completed pieces and several almost completed pieces. So, I'll see where I'm at and let you know when I plan to update the shop...stay tuned!

I hope your week has been treating you well. We went from summer straight to winter...we had a dusting of snow the other night which usually only happens a few times a year. Brrrr.

Rather Grimm

I spotted a vintage cloth-bound copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales recently at a shop, but didn't have any money on me. I've always wanted a copy of the book, and a cloth-bound vintage edition was quite a find...and less money than new to boot. Then when my parents were visiting, we went back to the shop and I was so worried that the book wouldn't be there...and it wasn't. At least, it wasn't in the same place. After searching the shop for it for a few minutes, I found it. It was meant to be.

The book is a 1944 edition with both black-and-white an color illustrations (which I think are in a rather unusual style). If you aren't familiar with the book, Grimm's Fairy Tales was written by two German brothers in the early 1800s from verbal stories (when stories were told in the evenings) many of which you are probably familiar: Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Little Red-Cap (aka Little Red Riding Hood), Rapunzel...the list goes on. I took a representative sample of images from the book (rather randomly) and I may post some from the more familiar stories soon.

I've been slowly reading the stories when I have time...and they are rather grim. Maybe stories I'll save for Boo when he's a little older...not only because they are dark, but because the language is rather old and I think he'll get more out of it in a few years.

I hope you aren't wilting in the heat...I have to admit I am. It's days like these when I must admit I'm a shade violet.

Books on Natural Dyeing

I finally got a couple of books (Christmas gifts) to get going with some natural dyeing.

I cracked open this first one a few nights ago. I've just been reading a little at a time since I certainly don't have the sort of time I did in college to read. So far it's very informative. I'm starting slow with this process because I really need to be careful working with these materials since I have a 5-year-old in the house. Really, I'm only going to be working with the safest of the safe and this book was recommended to me as a good one for such.

This next book is very exciting because, for example, keeping powdered copper and iron around makes me nervous with a young child in the house...so it's nice to know that I can make the dyes in copper pots or cast iron pots instead...much safer! I haven't done anything but flip through this book so far, but I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

If you have a favorite natural dyeing book, please let me know...I'd love to get some more books on my wish list. Now...back to thinking about cooking dinner...it's going to have to be something quick since it's already past 6:00....

 

Chicken Noodle Soup Helps

I was pretty sick last week with some sort of head cold/flu. Today is the first day I have a bit of energy. I'm pretty sure the chicken noodle soup that Jeff made helped.

There are lots of ideas in my head and ones that I'm starting on for the shop. Lots of new stuff (hopefully soon). I'm hoping that my clearance section gets cleared out to make a bit of room...if you feel like helping out with that, you can click here for items that are 50% off. Now for a few links that I find interesting...

Also, Those lovely Penguin Classics designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith have grown in number, now there are three Jane Austen books in the collection. With any luck, all will be at some point...that would be SO nice!

I recently had an incredible piece of Lemon Blueberry Sourcream Tea Bread from my farmers' market. I found a similar recipe here. I haven't made it yet, but I'd cut down the butter a bit and add sourcream and cut the sugar down (the lemon icing is what makes it).

Boo's been wanting to make Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps (you know, Mrs. Bean's). So, I found a recipe. Again, I haven't made them yet, but another item to add to the list for the fall.

Also, I have a vintage globe that my dad got me from a yard sale. It's dusty and has something that dripped down it. So, I need to do a bit of cleaning. But, how to clean a globe that's made of paper? I found a couple of helpful sites...here and here.

Okay, enough for now. I hope you had a lovely weekend and the start of your week is equally nice!

 

A Few Things

Boo and I went to Jenny's the other day and Jenny gave me a little birthday present. It was quite a thoughtful gift: a jar of homemade lavender-scented vinegar (for cleaning...she was hesitant about giving such a practical gift, but I think it's wonderful!) and a 1941 edition of Pride and Prejudice (you know how I LOVE Jane Austen's writing). I had noticed the book on her shelf awhile back and she didn't know she had it; Jenny likes to pick up old, interesting books when she sees them. It's very sweet to have a book from her collection.

The vinegar is made from the infused with lavender stems which doesn't color the liquid and smells a bit like honey. Jenny also made some with the flowers that is amazingly fragrant with the scent of lavender (and rather fuchsia in color). She had a collection of jars with different experiments on the counter, which is often the case. Depending on the season, Jenny has science experiments in the kitchen. This time it was the vinegars and herbal simple syrups (coincidentally, there was a post on Design*Sponge today regarding herbal simple syrups...and herbal sun tea). It's always a delight to see what Jenny has been investigating.

I also went thrifting with Jeff's mom the other day (well, we just quickly went to one shop that was having a 1/2 off sale). I picked up this little guy (which, according to Three Potato Four, is a Turkish Pot): 

I have another one that is a bit larger and also orange that I got with my mom during our last visit, but it's still at their house.

It's orange and enamel, so you know, perfect!

I think these pots would be great for melting butter for artichokes!

Outside the Box (or rather inside)

Jenny sent me an email about this and I love that it's thinking outside the box, well rather, inside the box.

These folks are waiting in line to get a book, CD or DVD. This little library, if you will (you take a book and leave one in it's place) is in a old phone box and holds 100 books. What a wonderful idea for a little community! 

It makes me think that there are so many possibilities out there! How could something like this serve your community? What are your community's needs? In the US, there are many defunct travel trailers kicking around...let's think outside the box!

First Strawberry and Snake Spit

Between the rain yesterday, Boo and I went to the garden to see what's going on. It's nice that it's been watered for us quite a bit lately, but sun would be nice to break up the gray.

We found our first ripe (well, just about there) strawberry:

Can you tell our soil is red clay? Even better, it's full of rocks...sheesh! I think I might try dyeing fabric with this red dirt someday.

Boo noticed some peculiar foam on the lemon balm among other plants. While visiting family in Quebec some years ago, my grandmother said they used to call that foam "snake spit," it's stuck with me ever since. I suspect that it's from an insect or somesuch, however.

I also have tons of seed pods growing from a green that I believe to be kale (it was given to us). The plant is HUGE...it towers over Boo. I plan to collect the seeds to give to others, hopefully before they fall to the ground.

In other news, I got a new sketchbook. It's made by windpower!

Notice that it's 6.25 inches by 8.5 inches. This is half the size of what I always get. I thought it would be more user-friendly for taking places and I could use one page per idea instead of sectioning off pages. We'll see how it works...this is a BIG deal for me...sketchbooks are very personal!

The Possibilities of Adventure

Some of Jeff's fondest childhood memories are visiting National Parks with his family. Also, Boo's birthday is a bit of a kick-off for summer. And, I recently heard that experiences, not material possessions are what bring happiness (I intuitively knew this, but hearing it made a light bulb go off...and maybe that's why I love thrifting and handmade...there's something of an experience about it!).

Therefore, I have an idea. I think that for Boo's 5th birthday, we're going to go to Crater Lake National Park. It's local (I know, amazing isn't it?) and one of Boo's new favorite things is volcanoes.

While there (or before hand, I think it's cheaper), we'll get this:

Here's the info:

"This handy, spiral bound, 6" x 3" travelogue fits conveniently into a pocket or backpack for easy reference. The 104 page guidebook makes it easy to learn about and explore all of our national park sites. The Passport to Your National Parks includes maps color-coded for specific regions in the country, pre-visit information, illustrations and photographs. It also includes a free map and guide to the national parks.

Spaces in each region are designated for you to collect rubber stamp cancellations at each national park site you visit. The cancellations, similar to those received in an international passport, record the name of the park and the date you visited."

So, as we visit National Parks, we can have the passport date-stamped to "check off" that we've been there. According to Wikipedia, there are 392 National Park units (and even more affiliates) and most of them have stamps. The ink is even color-coded for the nine different regions. 

There's also a companion passport for kids:

This has, among other things, info on the National Park Junior Ranger programs:

"The Kids' Passport To Your National Parks Companion is the perfect way to enhance your kids' experiences in our national parks! This 100-page book is to be used with the original Passport To Your National Parks. It contains checklists of many of the national parks in the country, a place to list the Junior Ranger programs your child completes, a field journal, and much more! Your kids can keep track of the memories they make while visiting our national parks!"

There are also spots in the main passport for commemorative stamps (like postage stamps):

 

"This set features all twenty five years Passport To Your National Parks stamp sets (1986-2010). These stamps are made exclusively for the Passport To Your National Parks book.

Make your Passport To Your National Parks book complete by including the annual commemorative stamp series. Each series includes nine regional stamps and one national stamp on one sheet. Simply detach the stamps and place them in the designated areas in your booklet."

What is unclear is whether this is the last year that these will be made (stamps have been made for all sites) or will this continue? If you know, please shed some light on this for me, I'm new to this stuff!

At any rate, Boo isn't ready for these stamps. He's not into stickers, so I think in a couple years we'll be ready for these.

So, dear readers...have you done this or something similar as a child or with your kids? I think it will be quite an adventure!

Carving Wood

More bits about this project I'm working on. With any luck, I'll have some fine art in the shop shortly. I may just have to bake a cake for the occasion!

They're woodcut tools from my printmaking days (hopefully those days aren't over...but I need a press!)

I've been in a bit of a food rut...that is until I saw this post (be aware, jaw-dropping photos). Oh, that salad!

Oh, and I've also been wanting an inspiring book...this may well be it!