A Closer Look at Ottoman

Just About Tomato Time!

At the beginning of next month, there is a huge plant sale in my area where I plan to buy all my vegetable starts (it's too hectic to deal with seeds this year). In 2004, Jeff and I bought starts for a small garden from the same sale and had a bumper crop of veggies (the tomato plants were taller than the eaves of the house too!). Jeff's requirement is always to have a garden to make salsa and I'm sure we'll do more than that, but I don't want to over do it with all the other outdoor work we have to do. Even though our garden in 2004 was tiny, we ended up giving a lot away; so, this year I plan to learn how to can and Jenny is also determined to do the same (it will be great to have a buddy to learn). It's so hard to limit oneself on garden planning, but I figure if I overdo it, canning is a great option!

So, I'm most excited about tomatoes, as I'm sure most people are about their gardens and our 2004 garden had seven tomato plants. I remember doing a taste test and the best, to me, was Green Zebra (which turns slightly yellow when ripe). Here's a look:

 

(I got this image via Cooking Light; check out their Heirloom Tomato Roundup)

What's your favorite tomato variety? What do you love to grow in your veggie garden? Do you know any great canning recipes or books on the subject? I'd love to know!

BROOKLYNrehab

I made it safe and sound with Boo to my parents' house. I've been super busy with visiting Jeff's family, my grandparents, and tomorrow I'm going to see my friend since kindergarten, Katie. I've got to get some pictures to share, but right now I'm trying to just have fun after the ramp-up to getting here. Boo has had a lot of fun with his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Boo's in love with palm trees and there has also been plenty of new and interesting animals to check out like stink bugs and loads of lizards!

On another note, I love when one of my favorite Etsy sellers or "Etsy friends" is the featured seller on Etsy; or better yet, both, which was the case this weekend with BROOKLYNrehab. I was so excited to see Alyssa as the featured seller and her interview was great! Here's a sample of the BROOKLYNrehab shop:

I've been loving this Ceramic Mushroom for awhile; what could be a better friend to moss and lichen?

 

The photography in the shop really highlights the pieces and this darling Porcelain Branch really makes me want it in my home. The little silhouette is the perfect companion to this piece.

 

If you read Alyssa's interview, she mentions that she doesn't consider herself an artist (I can totally relate, I prefer to consider myself a printmaker, sculptor and the like), but this, to me, is conceptual art. These NYC Souvenirs are brilliant! Check out the cataloging system...perfection!

I usually provide links to the items I highlight, but the pieces in the BROOKLYNrehab shop are selling so fast, just check out what's available now!

Okay, I'd better be off to sleep! I hope you had a great weekend too!

Pared Down Shop...But, New Doily Pictures!

Okay, the latest is that I've pared down my shop and I'm taking a lot of it with me...that still may change! Sheesh! I inactivated the Cork Collection that is on clearance and the made-to-order hair stuff that is in the Moss Collection.

On to the new pictures! I'm so excited that I got these pictures before these paintings go to my family...here they are:

This is "Everett" and is pale blue with white lettering.

"Monique" is light pink with white lettering.

"Russell" is grass green with white lettering.

I have two versions of "Susan" (which is red with white lettering). This one with a toy dog from my childhood and this:

I thought the pincushion looked pretty cute with the painting!

This is "Lindsey" which is black with white lettering. You may notice this is a "do over" because this was the first I made and I learned a lot making it.

"Ryan" is also black with white lettering and I got two shots that I like equally...here's the second:

So, those items I got from the rummage sale came in handy!

Okay, off to keep getting ready!

Happy Thursday!

Thinking About My Trip

I'm kind of having a down day...I guess we're all allowed to have those. I'm trying to get everything together and for some reason, it's stressing me out. The last trips I've taken, I hauled all my stock that is listed in my shop with me, but this time I have too much inventory to do that. So, Jeff is going to ship whatever sells and I'm going to put a note in the shop that items won't ship until such-and-such a date while he's down with us. I'm still figuring out what to do with all the made-to-order stuff.

So, I've been thinking about all the fun stuff we plan on doing while on our visit to help me not stress out. I'm going to make dumplings with my grandmother (they are very different than any other I've ever seen or eaten; they are meat filled and have a good share of nutmeg in them), buckwheat pancakes with my grandfather (it's his specialty...besides fries...they are more like crepes than pancakes). I also plan to do lots of baking since we are oven-less right now; maybe some of the ever popular macarons and marshmallows. Oh, and we're going to go to Disneyland! That's very exciting! It will be nice to have a day devoted to sheer fun! We weren't going to take Boo until he was around 5, but he's going on 4 and Jeff and I can't wait! I'd also like to go to Palm Springs (not too far from my parents' house), go to an art museum with my friend Risa, antiquing/thrifting with my mom and youngest sister, visit with my dear friend Katie and her boys. And, the day after we get there, we'll be taking Boo and his cousin (she's 2 1/2) to be photographed for Easter with real bunnies! Oh, and a birthday party for Jeff's dad where Boo will be able to play with his other cousins!

We have a lot to look forward to and to be thankful for. It's always fun to see our family and we try to cram way too much in, and it's the same when they visit me...now just to get everything ready to go...if I can just get on that plane...what a sigh of relief that will be!

A Lichen Brooch and Lichen Pincushion

I'm still feverishly getting ready for my trip. Part of that is tying up loose ends and that resulted in two items listed in the shop:

First, is that brooch I mentioned. It's Lichen Brooch (V2) 1.

Second, is Lichen Lavender Pincushion 3 (I was sold out for a bit):

Sorry for the short post today...off to try to get organized, hopefully calmly!

Happy Tuesday!

Giveaway Winner!

I have a winner for the giveaway, and it's:

I actually got Boo to hold the paper while I took the photo! Yes, those are Thomas pajamas...ha!

In other news, Terrarium 1 grew some mold (or some sort of white fuzzy stuff), so I emptied it and cleaned out the container. I tried to be careful not to put too much water in it, I only sprayed it with a spray bottle, but I'll try some nursery stock next and see what happens.

Okay, off to continue to plan for our trip...we leave Friday!

Happy Monday!

Lichen Brooch (V2)

Quick post today...I have a lot going on and a busy weekend (we're getting our ducks-in-a-row for Boo and I to leave next week to visit his grandparents, aunts and uncles), but I wanted to let you know that I finished a V2 lichen brooch that I hope to get listed this weekend. Here it is:

It's a quick shot, but you get the idea! I like the simplicity of it and that it's not obvious what it is.

I'm also going to be posting a lichen pincushion of the lavender variety that I have almost completed. I'll post pictures here too.

Oh, and don't forget to enter the giveaway! The winner will be chosen on Monday!

Happy Friday!

My church's rummage sale...

starts tomorrow, but I got in early and scored some great stuff! But first, don't forget about the giveaway! Here's what I found:

I'm not sure what this was originally for; it has a rubber stopper on the bottom. I think it would make a great terrarium on it's side if I can find something to keep it in that position.

I love this plate. After I picked this up, Jenny said that I'm attracted to "grandma stuff." I think I like the contrast between modern and fussy, girly stuff. The subject here is too much; it almost belongs in the boudoir.

Check out the detail!

I couldn't help myself...this is just too sweet!

I think that I'm going to have to host girly tea parties in the future! This particular teacup and saucer feels very holiday to me.

Jenny found a basket full of these letters (probably between 100 and 200 of them). They're plaster and each have two tacks in them for putting on a board or somesuch. I love these...probably my favorite of everything I got yesterday! I love the raw plaster too...they would be perfect for a bulletin board (maybe even white-on-white).

I also got a mini food processor and a well-loved little wheel barrow for Boo. I can't wait for garages sales to "spring" up! Yeah, I know.

Happy Thursday!

Some things are so good, you just have to share.

There are a few things that I saw the last few days that are so good I have to share.

First, I found this great recipe for kids (and, heck, adults) via Craft's blog; it's from the Chocolate On My Cranium blog, Petite Watermelons:

Next I have two videos. The first one (I know this is all over the craft blogdom right now, but it's for a reason), is the incredible duo of Something's Hiding in Here...Etsy did a home tour with them. The second is the genius that is Leslie Hall! I found this via Modish.

A Giveaway!

Today, I lowered the prices of my Cork Collection that is on clearance to 50% off! Which means everything in the collection is between $6 and $16!

This reminded me that I have some pieces that I never got to listing in my shop that are part of the Cork Collection; AND...I won two giveaways last week! I can't believe it! I've never won a giveaway before, and two in one week!  First, I won this on the peppermags blog and second were these on the Pamela Susan blog! Thank you ladies!

So, I decided to share the fun and give away the four brooches I never listed...here they are:

There will be one winner for all four brooches. To enter, just leave a nice little comment recommending a book, movie, recipe...something that's new and exciting to you! The giveaway will last through this Sunday (until 11:59 pm Pacific Time) and I will pick a winner Monday morning with my trustworthy assistant, Boo, via the pick-a-name-out-of-the-hat-method!

Oh yes, and Happy St. Patrick's Day! I even have a corned beef in the crock pot...the first of my adult life (my grandmother always makes one, but we live too far apart...no, she's not Irish, she's French-Canadian!)...but anyway, is the whole corned beef on St. Patrick's Day an American thing?