« July 2007 | Main | September 2007 »
These are just some of the beautiful veggies from my parents' garden.
They were so perfect, I had to take a photo. I wish I had smell-a-vision so you could experience the basil for yourself. There's just nothing like that basil and warm tomatoey scent.
And though it's hidden beneath the leaves, there's sweet corn too. It was delicious.
I've been messing around with the macro on my camera and it's doing nothing for me. The photos are a little meh. So, of course, I think I need a new camera. Or maybe I need to finally read the manual.
Hmmm . . . maybe I just need to learn how to do more with less? I like the sound of that.
. . . I run into all kinds of interesting things.
My neighbor's beautiful old Mercedes is drivable, but it also seems to be some kind of storage. It always has a giant beach ball in it.
Why?
Do they go to the beach? Is it a prop for performance art? I don't think they have pets or kids who would play with it, so who gets to enjoy its bouncy fun?
Or maybe they just like the way it looks back there. It is pretty cheerful and adds a touch of whimsy.
I love pie.
Pie is a big deal in my family, we are unashamed pie snobs. We don't believe in pre-made crusts or fillings. Fruit pies are the epitome of goodness. I'll sample a custard or nut pie, but they're just not quite the same thing.
The crusts should be made from butter, though I know some people swear by shortening or lard. The fillings should be fresh or, even better, homegrown. Cornstarch should never go into the filling and please don't put in too much sugar. Really juicy fruit like apples and peaches get a couple handfuls of tapioca, just enough to keep things from getting soggy.
Oh, don't forget the pie bird.
Things I love:
- Tasty food
- Food that's good for the planet
- Companies with a sense of humor
I get all of those things in one fabulous package when I buy eggs. Glaum Egg Ranch has chickens who produce great eggs while living happy lives. What could be better?
Fertile eggs.
Now there's all kinds of stuff about fertile eggs being healthier than non-fertile eggs, but I don't think there's really a difference. However, it means the chickens are living as real chickens. Roosters and hens are hanging out, maybe getting a little chicken nookie.
Just look at the packaging, they're eggs made with love . . . awwwwwwwww.
I found this little guy crawling up the spider web on my front porch. I don't know where he was going or if he was in any kind of trouble, but I can't figure out how he got up there.
He was at least four or five feet off the ground without any means of climbing to the web. Maybe he dropped down out of a tree? Did a bird scoop him up and drop him? More importantly, did the spider end up eating him?
Here's the Paper Doll I made for myself.
I just couldn't let her go.
She has multiple outfits, including a stole made of valentine wrap and shallot netting. Though it's a little tenuous, the "voo doo" part of my paper doll is what's hidden behind the facade. Behind all her beauty, she's a skeleton just like the rest of us.
I really enjoyed the collage work on her clothing and working on the anatomical cut-outs for her skeleton.
Best of all, I can keep making her clothes as I run across images. Is it too silly to have a seasonal wardrobe for a voo doo doll?
I'm in the midst of perking up my living room.
It's a hodge podge of fussy furniture and odd little pieces. Most of the colors in the room are muted greens and pinks, but I thought a little punch of orange might be just what the room needs.
I found a scrap of cardstock in just the right color, a swatch of fabric
that matches the curtains and a pearl grey from some of the art in the room.
Now I just have to take myself to the fabric store to find just the right material. Maybe something like this?
I just wrapped up another Crafty Vixens Trade.
The theme of this trade was Voo Doo Paper Dolls. I ended up making two dolls, one for my trade partner and one for me!
Here's the one I sent out to my partner, I call her "Marge goes to the Costume Ball." What's "voo doo" about this lady? Well, I can't really say. Maybe it's just that she has a little something creepy about her?
Here's are shot of one of my silly little felt flowers in action. I had so much fun making them, but it took a little time for me to decide to actually wear one.
Now I wear them whenever an outfit needs a little "something." I do think I need to make a few itty bitty ones that are a bit less showy. I also want to make a few on bobby pins.
Felt is such tempting stuff. It makes my fingers itch to create things.
I love letterpresses and the amazing art they turn out. I've had the opportunity to take classes and see a variety of presses in action and the whole process is incredibly satisfying and magical.
The sounds and smells are mesmerizing. The satisfying "thunks" and "hisssss" and the oily smell of the ink can lull you into becoming one with the machine.
That's why I love these airy and ethereal images from YeeHaw Industries. They are such a contrast to the mechanical and heavy process that produces them. They are so beautiful and the flower names make me think of hot summers, spacious porches and perfumed night air.
If I manage to get out of bed early on the weekend, Nikita and I hit
the beach. This Saturday the tide was low and I knew there'd be a few
tidepools for Nikita to splash in.
This being Santa Cruz, it was foggy, but that's how I like it. We had the beach to ourselves while a surf competition was going on at the point. Nikita raced around chasing seagulls and snoofing at seaweed.
Then it was back home for a pot of tea.
I still need to make that tea cozy.
. . . the fence?
I have always loved my neighbors for building the fence around their tree.
The fence has a cool industrial feel and I really like the contrast with the curve of the branch. It's like a flower growing up through a crack in the sidewalk.
They also have a whimsical gate made of salvaged metal pieces with a cobalt blue glass handle. I guess I should really go back and take a photo of the gate.
I always feel a little creepy taking photos of someone's house, but I can't imagine there's anything too private about a fence. I know I'd be flattered if someone wanted to photograph my yard.
I'm a big fan of trades and swaps, but I don't think I've discussed them here before. Right now I'm a mod for a series of trades on Tribe and we're working on a Voo Doo Paper Doll Trade.
So, I'm mid-trade and working on my doll. She's going to have multiple outfits as well as a creepy secret. I've been hoarding some fun supplies, including the netting from a bag of shallots. You can see what's left of it in the upper left-hand corner.
Nikita is always good for moral support while crafting. Here she is helping out, busy sorting my scraps and picking out her favorites (she seemed to like the burger that went along with the lettuce).
There's usually some snoozing . . . snoozing is key.
