Photo blocks for sale.

I've started putting together a collection of my photo blocks for etsy. They are either printed on Kodak photographic paper, or with archival inks on professional matte finish paper, and then finished with a sealant. The finishes vary. I've done some with a varnish and some with a wax sculptural finish, much like encaustic. I prefer these over everything else, because they look old and have a lot of character. I have also attached sawtooth hangers on the back for hanging. Each block has been stained as well. I love the wood, it's so pretty and it really looks nice as a set on the wall. I need to do some different images...
I'll let you know when my page is up!

ecosystems

I've really wanted one of these for awhile, but they seem ridiculously expensive.. or is it just me? They start around $60 for a 4" globe. I am trying to find out how I can make my own, but it seems difficult since you need an airtight container that will not leak or smell badly. Since they last years, I suppose I could just invest in one that would guarantee composure (if kept away from Coco). Although, It does not guarantee that the lil' sea shrimp will live.

* this one was found at Amazon, but Green feet and Ecosphere Associates also has them.

new necklace

I made this last night at midnight before I went to sleep. I can't decide if I like the beads spread out, or clustered. I'm also thinking about adding another string of them on top. I will show you if I make changes.

decisive moment

here's today's photo from the lost highway:

baby clothes

you imagine that one day your lil' honey will have the cutest clothes, the ones you kinda whimper at in the window. but I'm also hoping that I will be able to sew them all myself, like this mom Laura showed me. (what's her page?)

We'll here are a few lovely little outfits that I would maybe someday buy.





* Found at flora & henri.

porcelain from the kiln.

These are such delicate, sweet dishes! They are all perfect with their uneven imperfections! I don't think we can really buy them from the states, but they are inspiring none-the-less. Who wants to enroll in ceramics with me?

*found at Mud Australia.

inspire me

*photography by martha bernabe


I have been really liking muted, unsaturated colors lately. Maybe it's winter, or the look of things gone old, that I like. But I love the colors in the first set as well as the details themselves: the chandelier is beautiful, and the tulle dress is amazing! Especially the way the photo was shot in front of the water, with no face and all the layers showing. It's such a nice photo. And lastly, I love the cake stand filled with the color spectrum of threads. I think I could make that an easy DIY project.

*these were found on coco+kelly's page.

lil' forest in your house

I don't know how long it's been that's I've been wanting one of these, and I am still kind of working on changes with the ones I've done, but I have finally put a couple terrariums together that I really love. I have a tendency to over-water my jade plants, or all succulents for that matter, so fingers-crossed that the desert collection will stay alive. I want some clovers for my baby terrarium, although their not winter plants, so I picked what I could from the yard... and wah-lah!

a holiday in another country

two summers ago we packed our suitcases for a vacation without any real direction in mind, aside from our destination. So we took the only road we could up the coast to Bruce Peninsula to Tobermory, Canada. Let me back up by saying that we had many other ideas in mind for this holiday.... jamaica, Puerto Rico or anywhere warm with a beach. So Canada was not really what we had in mind, but we decided to go camping, stopping off the entire way in these tiny, remote towns. Towns which had only one corner shop, several abandon barns, pick-your-own berry fields, drive-ins and maybe one fifties-looking gas station per city. We met some of the sweetest people, and saw some of the most beautiful landscapes. We ran through the forest, swam in freezing cold water, slept in our car outside a hotel, and then drove back towards Toronto. Honestly, Toronto was the least interesting part of our adventure, which I should add was soundtracked by an Abba best-of tape we found in a little thrift shop along the way. We really didn't want to get to the city, and almost felt a culture shock when we got there, disgusted by the condos surrounded by telephone poles and billboards. Going through these photos, I am ready to start planning our next journey through the fields....

where's she been?

recent days with coco. she is sneaky and without neither guilt nor care. she will keep you up all night, and steal your candy. but she is warm and funny and makes good company.

what's your foliage

This is a book of foliage plants that I think I will be getting as a gift. It's full of beautiful photographs and there are some really nice planting ideas.

The Foliage Book is by Nancy J. Ondra Photographs by Rob Cardillo

happy animals

more smiling animals on Huffington Post found here (but this is the best one).

keeping your mustachio

I guess a mustache can be cute sometimes! I love this hat by design group Vík Prjónsdóttir. It kinda looks like my friend, Mike.

The icelandic group started in 2005, and are engineers in making amazing pieces to keep you warm for the winter. Here's another one:


These come in all sizes too.

The beard cap $77. click here.
The Sealpelt $238. click here.
Baby seal $96. click here.

2010 calendars

I have been making calendar's as gifts every year, which I may do again but I need new inspiration. I sometimes prefer a calendar with drawings, like Nikki McClure's or Jill Bliss. But I did find this collection of illustrations from frankie magazine.


Jill Bliss - $16 from buy olympia

Nikki McClure - $16 from buy olympia

Frankie Magazine $30

pumpkin cookies

It's the time of the year for squash everything: soup, pasta, stew..
AND for some pumpkin cookies. I made them a couple years ago from a recipe I found in my Martha Stewart cookie magazine. I got too busy last year to bake, but I think I will try them again this year.

Ingredients

Makes about 6 dozen
FOR THE COOKIES
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 ounces)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE ICING
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon evaporated milk,
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions

1.Make cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.

2.Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; mix until combined.

3.Transfer 1 1/2 cups batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops spring back, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.

4.Make icing: Put confectioners' sugar in a large bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter to confectioners' sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of pan. Add evaporated milk and vanilla; stir until smooth. Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto each cookie. If icing stiffens, stir in more evaporated milk, a little at a time. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

* this recipe was found here: Martha Stewart.

Also, you should watch this lil' funny cookies video.

flowers at your door.

how nice it would be to find this hanging on your door. i would fill it with wildflowers.. like my previous post: here

found on D*S from etsy artist, thisbreezeisnice. you can find it here for $12.

yesterday

fall is really pretty in michigan. i need to keep my camera out.



also, I've spotted this neat lil' necklace at Anthropologie that would be nice if I could make myself... hmm... I think it's actually possible. Even if you're not Laura.

what inspires you?

This is an assortment of things I've found and liked. And some of course, are just photos I've taken.
1. DIY Terrarium - I've been talking about doing one of these for years, and I think it's time I've buckled down and put together some of these ongoing ideas and projects. I found this Sprout Home video demonstration on Design Sponge that was really helpful and motivating. Now, let's see if it will work... :) I like mosses and clovers but I thought a succulent terrarium may be nice as well. Click on the title to see the video.

2. ban.do - There are so many nice designs here that you should check out. Or perhaps they will inspire you to create something entirely new! This one is $200. I've been seeing these (in particular, the feathers) as bridesmaids details, which is a really nice idea.

3. Handmade wreaths - this one is from L's home. I'm not sure if it was handmade or not, but it looks like the colored wire was added to the branches. It's a good idea to add something to a bought wreath, and I thought this one looked really sweet. Click on the title to go to L's inspiring blog.

4. coco, walking through the grass. She's an indoor cat, but I sometimes let her go on vacation.

5. Sophie Theallet - Sophie is a french fashion designer with a sophisticated, bohemian sense of style. I love many of her designs, which I will show you in another collage. She designed for Jean-Paul Gaultier, and now has her own line Motu Tane, named after a Tahitian island.

feeling cold.

This would feel nice right now. I like the vintage buttons as well. This is probably the only thing I could knit. Maybe I should get my needles out and see what I come up with.

$50 from THROATKOAT on Etsy.

dear you,

dear you,

my limbs only extends so far, but where they end,
may they reach to the foreign lands of thee.

in sea, where sounds are swollen, we can harmonize with the sounds of this earth.
until then, I will send you another postcard to accompany this time.

sweetly,
yours.

between wet leaves and the sky.

I'm settled in with coco in this little nest o' mine. fall is surrounding my yard, dangling it's cold hands onto me. I cannot seem to get warm. You would think with all it's warm tones it would feel cozier. How deceiving. :)

time for tea.

do you want to look fancy?

I have begun an amazing collection of delicate, handmade necklaces. They all have a nostalgic feel to them with their weathered gold.

We were in a waiting room when Laura and I first spotted this looking through a magazine. When we realized that they were made with zippers, we thought it was actually a feasible project for us. And as usual, before I knew it Laura had created a masterpiece. In a little yellow box on my birthday, I found this necklace she made. If you're looking for holiday ideas, It's a perfect gift for someone. Write her early so she can custom make one for you! Find Laura here.



kate cusack has a beautiful collection that you can see on her website. This one looks like shells to me.

did you draw still lifes?

I love these calendars from Jill Bliss. I think her drawings are so sweet and thoughtfully articulated. It inspires me to create my own. I wish I could be so talented, or patient! Here's a calendar from a previous year that I have, or you can check out her latest at buy olympia: here.

also, another sweet photo of darling Gabriella.

Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

I found this recipe from chow vegan, which had this beautiful photo to go with it.


Makes a generous 2 cups

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, minced
1 med carrot, sliced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
1/2″ fresh ginger, minced
2 cups hot water
1 cube vegan vegetable bouillon dissolved in the water
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 heaping tablespoons silken tofu
1 stalk green onion, chopped
1-2 pieces baked tofu, cubed

In a large pot, heat the oil until hot, add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the squash and carrots and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the water, ginger and spices.

Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to low. Cook for about 18 minutes or until the squash is soft. Add the tofu and puree until smooth. Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onions and baked tofu croutons if desired. Serve immediately.

So I made it the other day for Z & I, and did what I could with what he had in his kitchen. I didn't have the cayenne, tofu, or green onion and it was still so delicious and surprisingly filling! Oh, we didn't have ginger either, but z went out and bought some today for the next squash. i think cumin is usually a nice addition as well. Fall is the perfect soup season.

Estate sales

S called me this morning to go to some estate sales, and where we have had a couple good days, most of the time it's a very dusty and expensive disappointment. But it's worth the few, amazing discoveries we've had. This is what we first saw, and decided to make the trek. Lots of sewing stuff, and music gear!







I ended up with buttons, zippers and more chairs! Z took two of them, and I will be rotating some of my others out soon. They went from $125 for all four, to $40!

Check here for future sales in your area.

haa cute.