My Little Orange Kitchen

A Sign Of Things To Come

I'm a little closer to finishing a project I plan to share with you soon and in preparation I was playing around with some fresh flowers and look what I came up with: 

A rose petal throne for Buddha. Peachy!

I've written on facebook of how I want to start a pledge process for a "No New Wrapping Paper In 2011" holiday season.  I plan to create another page on this blog  and post regularly with thrifted or handmade alternatives to store bought new gift wrap.

I love pretty paper more than most people, but the amount of wasted wrapping paper tossed into dumpsters on December 26th depresses me.

I don't use many gift boxes, but every now and then I have a gift that calls for a box or is too easily identified without one (books and DVDs in this household).  It's early in the year, but I can't resist sharing one of my favorite types of gift boxes:

Vintage puzzle boxes.

Vintage Peter Max Puzzle by Do Not Destroy On etsy

I'm not suggesting you race out and spend a fortune on old puzzles, but keep your eyes open when thrifting.  Puzzles seem to be the last item people get excited about so it isn't unusual to find cool puzzles for under a $1.00. Though, finding vintage puzzles in clean boxes with all of the pieces can be a challenge, but in this case we don't care about having all of the pieces. 

If a rare puzzle is missing pieces I have no qualms about using the box. If you do find a puzzle in good condition with all of the pieces, you may want to price it on ebay or etsy before using it...just to be safe.  Some do sell for hundreds of dollars.

You can use the puzzle pieces in other creative projects (or as gift tags). If you know for sure that the puzzle is totally complete, but you are falling all over yourself because you really want to use the box, take a picture of it, print it on recycled paper and put the pieces in an old, but clean zip-lock or tin and donate it to a senior or community center.

Here are some examples of boxes that would make especially nice gift boxes (in my humble opinion). I use puzzle boxes to store art supplies and paper scraps and love it when someone gives me a gift in one. 

Unless the box has a unique design element I usually wrap it with recycled paper. I can't tell you how many times my friends have gotten almost as big a kick* from the gift box as they did from the gift.

I love the squirrel graphics:

I Love You More on etsy

When I see circular puzzles (usually 60's Springboc) I flip out! Be sure to price check these first...they can be valuable.

Apricot Vintage on etsy

Interesting graphics on this one:

Betty And Dot on etsy

Nick and Nessies on etsy

Don't forget old board game boxes:

Windy Lou Vintage on etsy

You can always find puzzles or games with themes your friends will be interested in. I tend to choose vintage puzzles because I like the graphics and because I do use the pieces (they're thicker and make better jewelry than newer ones). However, don't limit yourself. I was at a garage sale few years ago and the host was selling newer puzzles for ten cents each!

If you have suggestions for ways to reuse other boxes please share. I want to collect as many ideas as possible so we can get others excited about not buying new too!

* I realize that using the word "kick" to describe my friend's reactions to neat boxes dates them terribly. :)

La Befana

Yesterday I posted my Epiphany intentions and I thought I'd follow up with a few pictures of how it looked around here late last night. As per usual, my photos won't win any awards, but I'm glad I'll have them as a reminder.

This is my little Befana and her broom...given to me by someone who once called me her most magical fairy friend thus sealing the deal on a lifetime of friendship. I caught Befana taking a breather on the ficus.

I don't blame her...she's tiny and this must have been a heavy load. By the way...I have no idea why my shoes look so small next to Mark's. I wear a grand size 8-8.5 wide which is large for my 5 foot one and three quarter inch height.  Mark wears an 11 or a 12 so mine shouldn't look so little, but I'll take the winter miracle!

psst...my red heels were thrifted and only $4.00

I did as I said...burned frankincense, prayed, meditated and this morning emptied my glass of water down the drain. I decided to take the Christmas tree down last night. but kept the ficus decorated with a few year-round baubles.

Mark is going to be the epiphany sweeper today, so that's nice. I think it's good to have both of us participate in clearing the house for the new year.

Oh...something I forgot to mention.  The Magi are never actually referred to as men.  Did you realized this? I think it makes sense if you read yesterday's post. I mean, who ever heard of three men stopping to ask an old woman for directions! Agahaahahahahaha! I kill myself! Sorry to stereotype, but if the shoe fits...

:)

 

Magical Traditions

Happy Epiphany Eve! Tomorrow is Epiphany and all over the world little children (and forty somethings!) will race to check their shoes or stockings to see what La Befana or The Three Kings have left for them in the tradition of St. Nick (which many people celebrate on December 6th).

In my effort to bring a little more celebration into my life, I've decided to celebrate Epiphany tomorrow which is also known as Three Kings Day (Tres Reyes) or Holy Epiphany in other parts of the world.

I am not a religious person and am not a member of any particular faith, but I consider myself to be a deeply spiritual person.  I do pray and I do believe in spirit/God, but in my very own way that I don't often share, even with my close friends. However, my close friends do know that rituals and celebrations are right up my alley and to start the new year I am so delighted to have a little celebration over here honoring the traditions of many cultures.

In most cultures Epiphany is tied to Christianity in some way, but of course we know that most Christian holidays are rooted in earth centered celebrations that came long before Christ (Saternalia) and were moved to coincide with the new Christian calender. It is considered the twelfth day of Christmas or sometimes called Twelfth Night.

The basic pared down blog-length story is that on January 6th the Magi (The wise men or the three kings) arrived with their three gifts for Jesus.  This is where many people stop the story.

However, if you move to Italy or Russia you will hear a story of a woman named La Befana (Italy) or Baboushka (Russia) who the Magi stopped for help finding the manger and of how she was such a diligent housekeeper that she wouldn't stop sweeping long enough to offer assistance or directions.  Later, she regretted her actions and set about the land searching for them with gifts of her own. She never found the manger nor the wise men and still whisks around the lands on her broomstick leaving gifts for children every Epiphany Eve.

In Italy La Befana is revered and the children look forward to her as much as children other places look forward to Santa or St. Nick. There are regattas, parades and feasts, special breads cakes and cookies.

Other cultures have water blessings on Epiphany and in Spain it is called Fiesta de los tres Reyes Mages (Festival of the The Three Magic Kings) and when children open gifts the way many do Christmas morning. Children in Spain write letters to the three kings the way kids here write letters to Santa.

Here is a parade in Italy...note the most Nordic looking Italians I've ever seen! :)

In Greece, in addition to the blessing of the water, the Epiphany Dove will be released. To me this is so beautiful and interesting because doves were once a goddess symbol and of course became associated with Mary and Christ. Doves were later replaced with the winged cherubs so common in paintings of Mary.

At the bottom of this post I have listed many links to help further explain the many traditions and beliefs about Epiphany.  You'll see that many sources go much deeper than I do. However, now I want to share what Epiphany means to me and how I plan to celebrate. 

To me Epiphany is about renewal, changes in attitude and about giving freely of yourself and spirit. I think of Epiphany as a chance to renew my childlike energy, enthusiasm and belief. To welcome myself back into the new year with as much joy as anyone would welcome a baby that we knew to be a "Christ-Child".

I think of it as a time to appreciate our unique gifts that are not material...our talents, family, friends, life blessings etc.  I love that La Befana regretted not stopping her sweeping to help the Magi (in that particular story) and set about to give all children gifts. I love that she is most certainly the Goddess of Good Housekeeping! Some stories tell of how La Befana lost a child of her own and while I don't go into it with many new friends, my old friends know that I lost a child of my own too. I love that there are children in my life and this most recent holiday visit with my nephews really brought this home. I've often wondered if I could have done it...been a good mother and a few days ago I had an "epiphany" and realized that yes...I could have done it.  I'm so peaceful knowing that even though I didn't get the chance to raise a child, I could have done it well. 

I love this quote from Louise Erdrich, but until a few days ago it didn't mean as much. I mean, I understood it, but now I really feel honored that for whatever reason Spirit wants me to be OK and happy with my role as a precious aunt: 

"Women without children are also the best of mothers; often with the patience, interest and saving grace that the constant relationship with children cannot always sustain. I come to crave our talk and our daughters gain precious aunts. Women who are not mothering their own children have the clarity and focus to see deeply into the character of children webbed by family. A child is fortunate  who feels witnessed as a peron, outside relationships with parents by another adult."

What a gracious quote from a woman with children of her own.

Tonight I will set out our shoes with the strong faith that La Befana will visit and leave oranges, nuts and little trinkets. Three gifts to represent the three kings. 

I will take a glass of water and pray over it while burning some incense and then meditate. During my meditation I plan to (I write plan because if you've ever meditated with a specific intention you know that sometimes Spirit has other ideas) focus on my blessings and compose a thank you note for my epiphany about motherhood.  I feel that because of it, I can now mother myself in a way I haven't been able to in a long time.  Then I'll call upon the dove to take my note to the Three Kings for delivery. I have a feeling it will land where it needs to. Then I will rinse the sink with my glass of water as a symbolic blessing and bidding farewell to the old year.

There is a certain little girl in our town who just went through a scary bout of illness and while she turned a corner this morning I think a visit from a La Befana devotee is in order.  I hope she'll wake up happy tomorrow as long as her mother remembers to check the mail box! Ahem.

Tomorrow, in addition to my work, I plan to sweep the entire apartment and put away my ornaments and tree. I figure this is such a nice tribute to La Befana because she clearly values housework.  This is a nice way of sweeping out the old year and bringing in the new. And traditionally this is when old trees were burned as a blessing and you might notice that many cities schedule tree-pickup and mulching on January 6th. I am also donating to a charity and have selected three gifts to donate to St. Vincent's.

As you can see, I've interpreted Epiphany in my own way and I invite you to think about how what you feel when you think of the day. You may not feel anything and this is totally cool, I mean the whole point for me this year is to think about what these things mean to me and to share.

If you have any family traditions for epiphany, please share here or on the studo facebook page...we can all learn from them.  I know that it was originally earth centered so I wonder if there are any Native American traditions associated with with the day?

And speaking of sharing, here are a number of links for information and ideas:

Love this one!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_%28holiday%29

Winter Festivals

Epiphany Cake

Another Cake

Feast of Light

Befana

Tres Reyes Magos at Disney

Saturnalia

Lots of views here

Everyone skips the middle anyway.

I am not going to close out the season with a super wordy post, but I thought I'd show some pictures of the cookie/candy action around here over the last week. My mother in-law and I had it covered.  Not pictured is the pumpkin pie, flan, cassava custard (my sister in-law makes the best flan and cassava custard pie with coconut-so good) or the cupcakes!

I love my cookie dish and even if the cookies wound up on different trays when presented. I took pics on this because the blue is just so pretty.

My Christmas tree story is worth a few lines.  I have no issues with live Christmas trees.  I understand how people feel and maybe I would feel differently if the trees were not grown as crops, but these days they are and to me they are meant to be harvested. This is why I'd rather have a crop tree than just going into the woods for one. I truly believe that the dryads and tree fairies hop to another tree once the tree is ready to go.  Plus, a real tree goes back to the earth (they shred them to make mulch), but a fake one ends up in a landfill eventually. However, I know that many feel differently and get artificial trees and to each his own....

My mother in-law won't have anything to do with real trees and she gets pre-lit fake ones. The last one lasted eight years and then the middle section of lights burned out. She bought another one (very pretty) and her old one was headed to the dumpster. I couldn't bear to see it end up in a landfill simply because of burned out lights so I took the top and the bottom and put them together! It's missing a middle section and from certain angles looks a little off, but I think it looks extremely cute!

I was made fun of the night I took it by Mark and my in-laws...they thought it looked ridiculous, but honestly, does it? No. :) To me, its imperfection makes it look real! Plus, maybe it has feelings and is very happy to be with me and appreciated. :) I put my minimally decorated ficus next to it. The best of both worlds! :)

 

Choco-Shroomin' Another Gift Under $3.00

 

This one is under two dollars. Perfect for a co-worker Secret Elf situation and while not health food, certainly no worse than a bag of peanut butter cups. They're adorable!  Adorable.

$1.79 a box at my local grocer and would make nice cupcake toppers too. The cookie part is more like a cracker, not that sweet, but the chocolate makes up for it.  It's not often that you get your chocolate and cuteness fix all in one.  

I'm going to share more of these inexpensive ideas and I'll try to include handmade gifts as well, but we all know...it's the season of edible cute and these do the job.

Mark has a creative streak of his own and maybe someday I'll tell you all about his journey with a psychedelic mushroom named Cletus. Of course, we are speaking about Mark, so his story has nothing to do with real psychedelic mushrooms, but he did make up a story to entertain me and it's hee-larious. 

 

Little Houses

Happy Easter Kitchenettes! Happy Spring too! I feel so lucky to have such a nice studio this time around. It's very large and my friends have said that the pictures soooo do not do it justice, that when you are in it, it's so much more open and spacious than they gathered from the excitedly emailed photos.

I'm sharing a few, so you get the idea. Please ignore the cords and etc, I'm still getting it set up. At some point I'll share better quality photos with more detail of the sections.

I had a house/studio blessing yesterday. We gathered at the cutting table and my friend Kelly was the Mistress of Ceremonies. I never know what she's going to come up with and she never fails to surprise.

This time she led us on a short guided meditation and then read some Rumi selections.  So peaceful and nice. I was blown away when she began pulling beads, ribbons, bells and pom-poms out of her brown Butterfly Books bag of tricks. She asked everyone to create bauble strands to symbolize what they wish for me in the space.  I'm going to share in another post what they came up with. WOW! I loved knowing that my space was being imbibed with all kinds of good energy.

We spent hours creating, talking (mostly about Net-Flix for some reason!), eating, sharing and having a peaceful time.  It was just what I needed. 

I had some treats on hand in the form of blood orange lemonade, black cherry balsamic vinegar sodas and these cute little house treats (I stole the idea from a photo on flickr). They were easy to make and very big on the wow factor! :)

Kelly baked the most delicious and good for you whole wheat apple oatmeal cookies and Sherry sent everyone swooning with a basket of Seroogy's eggs.

We all got a kick out of Kelly's Life Rules, which I'll share when I post the bauble strands.  It was a lot of fun and now I KNOW for sure there are no excuses....this studio is set up exactly as I need, filled with all supplies I could ever want and now completely and totally filled with good energy from friends who have no qualms about calling me an artist...which I admitted made me cringe a little and this is when Kelly said, "We all know it, now it's time for you to."

I can't wait to share the strands they made...I'm looking at Nancy's right now, it's hanging above my computer.

On a side note:

• Mark and I are braving the Easter madness to see if we can find some lunch that isn't buffet style or with jacked up prices. Wish us luck. Then I'm finally going to watch the new Sherlock Holmes...finally.

• I recently found out that I'm horribly deficient in Vitamin D. Enough so that I need a prescription for 50,000 iu a day...yes, a day. It's an extremely high dose (for two months) and then hopefully I'll balance out. This explains a lot...my auto-immune issues this winter, my overall lethargy and muscle weakness etc. The next step is finding out why I'm not absorbing it naturally, however, my doctor said that most mid-western women are deficient in varying degrees and that testing is a good thing. I'm not trying to turn my blog into a pushy conventional medicine PSA, but folks...you know I've been miserable for months and if this helps...wow. If you've  been having any issues related to mood, weakness, immunity etc, I'd get checked. Do not attempt to high-dose on your own since too much D can cause irreversible damage to your kidneys.  It was when I struggled to pick up an empty laundry basket that I knew I had a real problem. I mean, I'm a hauler and have always prided myself on being very muscular under this weight so the laundry basket moment was a huge wake up call. Though, I did manage to get the whole new place set up in one week, so something is working for me. :) It pays to know in advance exactly where you want the movers to place things...really. Measure twice, place furniture once. :)

I'm jumping on the blog wagon and sharing this duo---but really, I love watching her and he's so cute too. I assume they're a couple.

Pink Hearts

A donut positively loaded with raspberry jam and iced in pink. Be still, my beating I'm eating heart.

If you've left getting a Valentine for your sweetheart until the last minute, here are some very cute free print them yourself options!

(Inside) A Black Apple

A Fanciful Twist (love you Vanessa!)

Tollipop

I sent Emily's a couple of years ago and my friend Kelly still keeps hers on a shelf in her living room. Too sweet.

Oh, and speaking of too sweet...I know the holidays are over, but let's plan ahead. Commence to printing Tollipop's gift tags at once!

New Year, New Rhythm

First, I see no contradictions in the picture, I've always been a mixed media kind of gal!

2009, you were a killer. I was going to write about you...the highs and lows, the successes, the failures and all the blurriness in-between, but it's a new year and for once in my life I'm not looking back.

Deepak Chopra says it best:

Now that you know the stakes, a choice must be made

-evolve or decline-

The option of standing still isn't available. 

I'm choosing to evolve and invite anyone reading this to join me.  Here's to a great year and a soon to be posted recipe for orgasm in a bowl brown sugar rice pudding.

2010

No to television and yes to books and dvds.

No to all-nighters in the studio and yes to plenty of rest and routine.

No to explaining myself to others and yes to holding myself accountable for my business and commitments.

No to manic bursts of creating and yes to learning how to pace myself.

No to hoping "it" all falls into place on its own and yes to finding rhythm so that it will.

Happy New Year!

Sweet Meats

As many of you know, I have a thing for reading cookbooks and can lose hours taking notes of all the recipes I'd like to make, planning menus and just overall perusing. I'm not ashamed to admit that when I see recipes with dried fruit as the predominant ingredient, I usually turn the page. Prune whip? I'm so not on it. Stewed figs? I'm already at the end of the book, sorry.  Even date nut bread doesn't move my heart.

However, when I saw a recipe for Sweet Dreams Sweet Meats in A Harvest of Healing Foods, I was all over it. Mostly because of my Victorian holiday association, Dickens and all that.  Plus, these are touted to be a perfect bedtime snack when you just need a little something-something if you've eaten an early dinner.

I won't list the recipe because I completely bastardized it, and I can't list exact proportions because I don't work that way, but really, even the most novice of all cooks can figure this one out.

Steam about 8 ounces of dried fruit for a few minutes to soften (I used prunes, sour cherries and apricots) and put in a food processor. Add appx 1/4 teaspoon orange zest, a couple of tablespoons chopped nuts, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of a winter baking spice like cardamom, clove, cinnamon etc. Pulse the mixture and add whatever else feels right. I added black sesame seeds and a tiny pinch of pumpkin pie spice.

Refrigerate for ten minutes so the sweet meats will be less sticky and easy to form. Now, this is where it gets interesting. I recently discovered a spice shop in our area The Spice & Tea Exchange. It's a locally owned franchise and they hand blend on site.  I was enchanted by the salts, teas and of course the spice blends, but what really blew me away was the sugar. Jars of spice and fruit infused sugars. I picked up tiny taste packets of ginger, espresso and tangerine. WOW! 

The espresso is intense. Can you imagine it around the rim of a cup of hot chocolate? Or what about the ginger around the rim of a glass of rosewater lemonade?

I decided to roll my sweet meats in infused sugars and unsweetened dutch milled cocoa. You can roll them or form a loaf and cut slices. It's up to you.

Afterward, I wrapped mine in candy wrappers and put them in fridge. It's so nice to know that I have a mostly healthy sweet treat on hand, and really...I didn't coat them too heavily with the sugar.

Dried fruit can be a little high on the natural sugar side, but the vitamins and minerals are highly concentrated. You can add anything to these...coconut, a hazelnut in the center, different extracts...orange would be nice and even chopped dried fruit to give it more texture.  I was glad Mark is in Eau Claire this week because I would have had to endure some South Park chef and sweet breads jokes.  This is a snack for adults. :) 

Oh boy, it's that time of year again. 

OK. Just a reminder about the screening of Fresh at the Urban Frog Tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. $5.00 cover includes popcorn.

   

    

Traditions

Here are a few pictures representing some traditions around here....

A birthday dinner made by Mark...which may seem odd to those of you whose husbands/partners like to cook...it's Mark's least favorite activity. It was fantastic...He won't approve public photos, so I had to plead for this back shot...You will note that our kitchen is small and that Mark is tall judging from where his head is in relation to the top of the cabinets and ceiling!

The sauce looks dry, but it wasn't...it's a sweet sauce and has been in Mark's family since their good friend Rosalie gave it to them...it calls for baking soda and vinegar which I find odd, but it does the job!

     

I made strawberry meringues for dessert...just egg white, cream of tartar and agave whipped until stiff, folded on to parchment and baked at 200 for 3 hours...they got a little brown, but life goes on....they would be even better baked for another hour or two at 180 or 190.  My good friend and chef extraordinaire Sherry Fuller was the inspiration for these and hers are never brown.  

I write myself a birthday letter every year, I started in 1995 and have skipped a few years by choice, but not many. I plan on doing this year's letter in a week or two.

And of course, speaking of traditions...what would an upcoming show be without me trying to cram two months of work into eight days?  When will I ever learn?
 
Last night Mark came in the studio and looked at the cardholders...(most of them are made from magazine ads pieced together) and he told me I have a good eye.  I appreciated his observation because I have to say that I agree! :) And I love making them, so why I stall and end up cramming is beyond me...but, with each fair, I'll get a little better.

OK...a baby shower awaits and then it's back to work.

Have a nice Saturday everyone!

Happy Second Day Of The New Year

Happy New Year All!

We had a laid back New Year's Eve and yesterday we just hung out with family. My seven year old nephew is at the stage where he makes interesting observations. For example, he made this one about my in-laws and their two cats, "Tita Laura, If the mom and dad died, the cats could get to do anything they want."  Hmm.

He's sitting in my studio quietly drawing and fairly disturbed because after about twenty five questions about what we're having to eat and even more statements about what he isn't willing to eat, I got him to promise he'll try one bite of anything I make and then I announced that stir-fried grasshopper noses will be coming up as soon as I finish this post. Aghaha! He hasn't said a word for five minutes.

I made macarons again and while they didn't have as nice a "foot" as the first batch, I think the gold dust makes up for everything.

I've named them heart chakra macarons because of the pink and green and well, the hearts.

I've reviewed the year and while it was difficult there are a few things that I think I did well. I really learned a lot from the Food Project (there is a link to these posts in my categories section). My cabinets are less full and we use more of what we have and waste a lot less. I'm also happy with my vow to buy fewer books and magazines...I did wonderfully until the end of the year...I read as much, I just didn't buy new.

I'm also pleased with my mid-year vow to dry-brush my skin, meditate and drink water daily...check.

I decided that this year, I'd do away with resolutions and goals and make this a year of being, doing and creating. You regular readers know I've written that I do not want this blog to be a weight loss blog-or an angst-y blog about weight. I don't. I want this blog to be personal, but focused on my personal and creative pursuits. However, I've felt the need to write more about my weight/food issues and so I've created a new blog which, to many of you may seem a little indulgent and perhaps a little angst-y unless you happen to have similar struggles.  I've got some exploring to do and other than mentioning that I'm starting a sugar-free year, I'll probably keep the details of that journey over there.

I feel good about this year. I'm going into it feeling upbeat, creative and mostly determined to be peaceful no matter what the year brings.

The year also brings about a change in my business. I have decided that once I use up the massive amounts of pretty patterned paper that I have, that all my work will be done solely with recycled paper...no exceptions. The Little Orange Kitchen is going green! Many of my wallets are already made with recycled paper and all of them are lined with recycled card stock, but I haven't been able to resist some of the gorgeous gift wrap that's out there. Even the new gift wrap made with recycled paper is going by the wayside...it has to be paper that is being re-used. Of course, I have tons left, but once it's gone...it's gone.

I'm also starting to make pinwheels...more on this later because there is a good story that ties in with the New Year.

On a sad note....no nabat tutorial made it to the blog-but it's not for lack or trying...last week I began to take pictures of the process and noticed that my candy thermometer was filled with bubbling liquid...I got a little paranoid about mercury leaks and dumped the batch. So, hopefully, it will come soon. I'm sorry Kitchenettes.

I also know that this will be the year our place sells, so I'm determined to enjoy it, but always excited about new places.

Thank you so much for coming back with each new post, your comments and your support. I wish you the best year of your life so far.

Happy peaceful New Year! 

More Handmade Holidays

I know this theme could be getting old, but I can't help it...I have stockpiles of pictures I haven't shared yet.

Several months ago I found a beautifully soft gray cashmere sweater set at a thrift store. I think it was $1.00 or $2.00. It had a few holes in it and was the smallest large I've ever seen, but I knew someday I'd make something with it.

I was kind of stuck on what to make my two-year old nephew and had finally decided to make him a soft bunny or bear with the cashmere, but when I pulled it out, a new idea came to me. I saw the ribbing at the waistband and imagined a pair of tiny soft mittens! I figured if I cut and pinned along the seams on the side, my hand sewing would be cut in half and the ribbing (or whatever it's called) would provide a finished look for the wrists.

So, I got to pinning, cutting and hand sewing (the machine and I are not friends-in spite of lessons, I never got the hang). I can't do justice to their cuteness and softness here...even Mark had to hold them and smiled the way you do when something is unbearably cute. I love that little Kyle will be wearing cashmere courtesy of his Tita (Auntie) Laura. My friend's baby boy is due in the Spring...I think Cashmere booties (with ribbed ankles) will be the next project.  

Then, I made these paper stars adorned with vintage buttons. The stars came from a kit, but I decided to save a few pieces to use as templates when I make some out of maps next year.

Homemade marshmallows taking a bob...

I was off the plan for the holidays...and indulged in treats, but am getting back in action...a little more slowly than I wanted to. By the way, I DON'T suggest following Martha's instructions to wet the top of the marshmallows before you rub in the powdered sugar...it results in a shell-like cap which some family members (and friends) might mistake for eggshells on first bite! Though, it all melts away instantly in hot drinks.

I love this paper, but the images are too big for a wallet. I'm going to save it until the perfect idea comes to me.
 
By the way,  Los Angelista is having a give-away sponsored by Nintendo for a Wii console and Wii Fit! Stop over and leave a comment.

Leigh is also having a give-away!

I've been enjoying listening to this courtesy of Mr. Mark and his uncannily good memory at the holidays for things I've mentioned I like over the course of the year.  I'm loving it even if Amazon reviewers aren't. 

I've been working on some projects for for Arti-Gras. I can't wait to show you my hand-cut (no template) envelopes.  I've also got a thrift post coming up!    

Enjoy your Sunday!

Silent Nights

We had a nice Christmas Eve with family and on Christmas Day (still is Christmas to me since we haven't turned out the lights and closed up the house for sleeping!) we stayed at home, just the two of us and watched movies, a House marathon and I made some mittens for my nephew (that's another post).

As you can see, I got on the macaron bandwagon, but I'm just not into the brightly colored ones the way many are. By the way...I also love macaroons too. Macaroons are of the English variety, dense and made with coconut, macarons are of the French variety and made with almonds and egg whites. You sandwich them with flavorful fillings traditionally they are very colorful. I opted for plain and lightly colored orange.  It was my first time making them and they turned out absolutely perfect!!!! Little feet and everything!

I followed this recipe. 

Happy Yule!  Off to sleep--the house is quiet and it is snowing...again.

    

Handmade Holidays Part 5

The wallet above is my last handmade gift of the season...whew. It's made from a postcard I bought at the Louvre in Paris several years ago. My mother and I love it and she used to have a print hanging in our kitchen when I was a teenager. The woman reminds me so much of my mother, it's not even funny. Plus, I love the colors. If not my kitchen, I want that one!  My mom will appreciate it so much. 

This is a picture  of her taken when I was just born...Can you see what I mean about the image in the painting? Look at her ballerina hair and skin. 

I think she'll like it. Every gift I'm giving to her is handmade as are most of the gifts...Mark, my brother and my mother-in-law have a few exceptions, but...I'm pleased with how little money we spent this year.

The postcard wallet is the first of many postcard wallets I'll be making this year...I love them!

I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday...Try not to do what lots of us do today...worry and stress about making everyone happy. Let's just keep our own peace and hope for family warmth.

I leave you with good wishes and some pictures of the wrappings around here...Thanks so much for visiting.

    

Little Orange Kitchen Confectionary (Handmade Holidays Part 4)

I am pleased to say the marshmallows turned out, but the Gaz (Persian candy) was not a total success.

I love Gaz with tea...a real treat. I'm also someone who doesn't mind flowery tasting confections. Gaz is similar to Spanish Turron, but is made with pistachios not almonds and rosewater not honey. It melts in your mouth and the texture is incredible.

I've always hated the term "girl crush", but if ever there was a time to use it, it is now. I am in major girl-crush with Natasha Levitan. I'm addicted to her videos. Ignore the commercial in front of this one if you want to know how to make Gaz. She also makes face creams and all kinds of delights for your eating pleasure and your skin...I love her voice, she makes me feel calm.

Follow her recipe exactly and you will have great success. My only mistake was to ask Mark to shell 2.5 pounds of pistachios (I was going to make several batches) because I wanted to save money and the shelled ones are three times as much...bad move. The skin on the nuts has a tough corner that made the candy sort of crunchy/sharp...I'd also add a tiny bit more rosewater.  Mark was a big help when I was mixing .... he poured the sugar syrup in such a thin stream while I mixed, you'd think he'd been creeping out late at night to take lessons.  If I weren't on the plan, this would be candy that I'd deem not gift-able, but my rosewater loving friend and aromatherapist won't mind the extra crunch.

I should point out that traditional Gaz is made from a plant in Iran (formerly Persia) and since that is hard to come by...it's often made the way Natasha does it.  By the way, some people wonder why I always say Persian instead of Iranian...it's because typically the identifying culture of Iran is still referred to as Persian...notice how we've never heard anyone say they just got a new Iranian carpet!   

Marshmallows were also once made from a plant...marshmallow root. It was boiled down to make cough syrup or beaten to make a candy, but that's also gone by the wayside and now we say hello to gelatin and corn syrup.

I followed Martha's recipe and it worked, but here are some tips:

• Do more than dust your pan...either line it with parchment and then dust it, or oil it and then dust it...
• Be warned: Gelatin smells horrible...next time I'm trying a vegan approach and will use agar-agar.
• You must must use an electric mixer...if you use a hand beater, be prepared for at least 30 minutes of mixing...I never so happy to hit the switch on my mixer and walk away with my fingers crossed. 
• One packet of Knox gelatin is a tablespoon-don't argue that if you measure it out, it doesn't fill a tablespoon. I did and the first batch was too thick due to me measuring packets to get the right amount like the perfectionist I'm not...I never measure, why did I start?
• Don't be freaked out when you add the scant amount of water to your gelatin and there is this gross thick "junk" in your bowl...that gelatinous mass is known as the "bloom" and it does dissolve just fine once you add the hot sugar syrup.     
• I used orange extract instead of vanilla---if you use vanilla, I've read that too much is totally overwhelming and you could use less than the recipe calls for. I used 3 tablespoons of orange extract and was worried the extra liquid would have a negative impact on the results...no problem.
• The reward of beating and seeing glunge-y gray in the bowl turn into creamy white is unbelievable, be prepared to have your mind majorly blown and to be a little disappointed when in spite of your jubilant shouting...a crowd (even of one) fails to gather.     

Read this post. Brilliant use of paper instead of plastic for water bottles. Somebody needs to give the inventors a million dollar prize.

I leave you with my favorite Odetta...I'll miss her.

Handmade Holidays Part 3

Tonight I'm making marshmallows and Persian candy...We won't discuss the agave marshmallow catastrophe that happened yesterday. No one needs to hear my description of the texture...well, I can't resist...think of slicing squares of gray jiggly (but creepily spongy) thick flesh off a drowned and bloated body.  UGH. I haven't a clue as to what I did wrong...But, it just goes to show me...don't count my chickens before they hatch. I had planned to be a super-hero with my all natural marshmallow drop-off for the staff at the Urban Frog to enjoy today. Oops.  Tonight I'm sticking with Martha.  

Hopefully there will be some pictures of Little Orange Kitcheny goodness tomorrow.  The bad news is that our main kitchen light burned out and I'll be cooking by lamplight-I moved one in from the living room. Neither one of us wants to go on a light bulb run right now.

It makes me wonder how all the women for generations cooked by oil lamp and candlelight. I can imagine many women looking over their gingerbread cookies made late Christmas Eve by the light of the fire and thinking they were perfect only to awaken to the harsh morning light in the cabin and notice they were covered with little flecks of ash from the wood stove.

Really, these women were heroes. I think of how I complain about an overloaded dishwasher and a sink full of dirty dishes and feel shame...I mean, I have a dishwasher for crying out loud. It's not as if I have to go out and gather snow to melt for washing!

Though, I could. We are supposed to get even more snow tonight.

I made bath salts yesterday and the blend is super strong (myrrh, bergamot and vanilla)...it's warming and uplifting and yet...it has an earthiness because of the myrrh and I'm calling it "Dark Night of the Soul" blend. It's to be used when you really feel in crises and are burned out and need to re-establish some connection and goodwill with your inner-self. Have you noticed? I seem to be a little back in action around here? Well, I give partial credit to these salts. I also included a gemstone in each jar.

I also made ponytail holders of the fabric and paper varieties...

 My worktables are a complete mess. What? Don't believe me?  

p.s. The bath salts are a mixture (it always varies) of sea salt, pink Tibetan salt, Epsom salt, coconut oil, crushed nettle, citric aci, baking soda and essential oils. By the way...if you really want to learn about the benefits of plain old ordinary Epsom salt read this. It explains way better than I can.  

Happy Solstice (Or Handmade Holidays Post 2)

Happy Solstice! I made the clove and star anise orange pomander yesterday...as a reminder that the sun is on its return. Isn't it odd that many of us think as Christmas as the start of the dark cold winter, but really, Solstice marks the return of the light?

Today we have less daylight than any other day and tomorrow we shall see more of the sun. This is why we see so many oranges in vintage pictures of children's stockings. It's a carryover from pre-Christian times when oranges represented the sun.

I am having a blast even though more snow is expected.  My grandmother called me and asked, "Whatever happened to this global warming that was all the rage?" :)

I've been making and baking...I'm looking forward to my two "free days"...I am off the plan (in moderation) on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. Then, I'm excited about using my long ignored Curves membership on the twenty-sixth and of course...this oft ignored piece of equipment is going to make a reappearance.

I've lost 22 pound since starting the plan and even though, I'm still heavier now than I was a year ago...I feel better. 2009 is the year of "Lightening Up" in many ways (weight, attitude...etc)...I'm even going to lighten up my hair! I have an appointment set for December 31st to go just a few shades lighter brown...Lorelei (my stylist) totally doesn't want this to happen, she thinks it is unnecessary, but I want it for symbolic reasons.

I've been teasing you with Sacred Jenga references for a few weeks....I finally had a chance to take some pictures.  Kelly Robe is a super genius and one night while over at her house, I noticed her Jenga was set up and she told me it was "Sacred Jenga". She had written lots of tips, messages, feng ideas and even just put a dot of color on her Jenga pieces. She kept (keeps) it out for inspiration. I was blown away and knew that my mom would love a set of her very own, so I resolved to make her one out of paper I know she loves.

She can keep it by her desk and just pull a piece as she needs. It will be a mini-meditation too because I know she stop and do it slowly as to not knock over the whole tower.

I just painted and covered the pieces with paper, stuck on quotes, sayings and messages that I know she'd appreciate and then out a coat of varnish on the whole thing. 54 pieces of inspiration! I think she'll love it.

  
I've made other gifts too. When first learned some basics (very basics) of jewelry making several years ago I got super excited and went off the deep end with beads (and I wonder how we got into deep credit card debt). I find it incredibly stress relieving to make projects that are not at all related to my business and shop and don't involve any new supply purchases. This is for my mother, it's amethyst, pearl and titanium quartz...with earrings to match and all from my stash. The center bead was a gift from a friend last year...she knew I'd put it to good use:
 
My mother is a world class dowser (pendulum user) and loves it when I make her new ones to add to her collection. This was also made from my stash with the exception of the cranberry pearls which are a new addition...a strand purchased on deep discount (used coupon, bead junkie discount card and in-store sale for what amounted to 45 percent off) for gift making and giving here. 

Then, I made earrings for my mother-in-law...she loves fluorite.

I've been having so much fun and finding that de-stashing to make gifts is so rewarding. I never thought I could give up that amethyst bead, but it was easy knowing it was for my mom.  The Jenga was ours (we bought it when we were trying to spice up our marriage by playing board games and doing puzzles at night. What? Yes, sad, but true). I found another one at a yard sale for $1.00, so someone may get one later in the year.

More tomorrow...I'm making gifts all day today. Yesterday we watched this...I'm ashamed to admit I was in major hysterics...parts are hee-larious, though some hit a little to close to home because Mark (at times) is a dead ringer for Will Ferrell's character. Oh well, if I laugh at any mortal thing it is that I may not weep (Lord Byron). Ha!!

Staying Busy

I made so many gifts yesterday and had a blast doing it. I've warned family to stay off the blog which shouldn't be too difficult because with the exception of Mark, my family members are intermittent readers.

The present of the hour (in my mind) is the accordion file book (shown above) I made for a friend (no names just in case she swings by the blog). I love the paper and all and all in wasn't that difficult. It has 8 pages to fill with notes, photos, thoughts, pretty candy wrappers (I can't be the only one who saves the pretty wrappers).

And then, of course, there is my favorite sentimental gift. It has a few problems (a little bubbling on the cover), but I love how the patterns go together ... this one was more difficult because of the all the little holes on the binding, but my friend will understand.

I love the back view as much as the front!

I wanted to call it The Book That Thought It Was A Tree House...but, Mark thinks that's kind of lame. I think it is entirely appropriate that Mr. Owl made his home in a tree that is on a book...aren't owls supposed to be rather bookish?

When I was at the show in Madison I picked up this bear for Mark (long story) anyway, I think I have a problem. On nights that Mark is in Eau Claire I've taken to setting him up in ways that are indisputably "Mark-ish"...like the view from my side of the bed 99.999 percent of the time...Mark with his shoulders uncovered and listening to his music.  I email him the pictures. We  I find it quite amusing. Is that so wrong? :) 

More gift making today!

p.s.These nice bloggers have free downloads for your holiday gift adornment enjoyment:

The Black Apple
Kitty Genius
Tollipop
A Fanciful Twist

So Much To Be Thankful For

Good morning! I hope all of you who are celebrating today have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

I have so much to be grateful for.  I am sitting in a warm and cozy studio anticipating a nice laid back day at my mother's. My aunt is visiting. I'll be seeing my brother and the kids tomorrow along with our close family friend Andre. I've already had some nice conversations with and messages from friends. It will be a nice day (even though I won't be able to eat the pies I baked due to my plan!). However, to me Thanksgiving is about so much more than the food.

I say that this has been a challenging year, but so many good things have happened as well. I am so appreciative not only of my customers, but also of all the women in the shops who have approached me and asked if I'd consider stocking them with wallets. It's a new journey for me and one that I'm still trying to balance, but every single day I am aware and appreciative of the help and encouragement I've been given by so many supportive people.  My Etsy shop is one year old and I appreciate every sale.

I'm grateful for Mark and his committment to what is a very challenging job. It supports us and each month when I write out checks to pay bills I thank the Universe that we are so fortunate...our struggles are still manageable. 

I've written before about our overwhelming debt and yet, I'm grateful for that in a way too. It's teaching me to be more efficient, waste less and also to appreciate what we have. This goes along with all the things I've said I wanted to do for years even as I was overspending. Now, my lifestyle and my ideals match. I have faith that we will get through this time and appreciate it for the changes it can bring.

There are many small comforts I appreciate on a daily basis...clean sheets, pretty soaps, fantastic mascara, warm foods, books, music, pretty paper and of course my rotary cutter! Oh, and my apple pie
(shown above) which was just about to go into the oven! I love the pattern I did on the top!

My thanks to each and every one of you for continuing to visit me here even though my posts are not as regular as they used to be. It means a lot to read your comments and learn about you too.

There may be some of you out there today who are reading blogs and not feeling as happy or having a hard time finding things to be thankful about. I understand this and want to acknowledge that this can be a challenging time of year if you are unhappy or disappointed about a period of your life. Sometimes there are points in our lives where we just can't feel it even though we want to and wish we did. I hope today, you'll pop over to this site and do what is a very simple ritual from the Campaign For Love & Awareness. It takes a few minutes, but maybe just the act of doing it and acknowledging you need to will help. I know that it may seem small if you are really in pain, but you have to start your healing and restore your hope even if in a tiny way.

Have a wonderful day Kitchenettes! 

P.S. Yesterday's post was in honor of my swap partner Colleen and was only up for awhile before this one...I do hope you can check it our because she was an amazing swap partner.  

P.S. DOUBLE S: I just added this....have you got a minute? Please watch...it's so heartwarming.  I'm still crying at this very moment. I love the first woman who does it and her hand on his face. Thanks to Robin for letting us know about it. 

The Red & Aqua Swap Part Two!

My swap package from my partner Colleen arrived last week, so I'm a bit late getting the goods into public view, but WOW! What a thoughtful swap package. Colleen must be extremely intuitive because she picked out things that my friends would have! Starting with this vintage 1960's dream book.  I love it and can't believe she found one in the appropriate colors!

The opening made me laugh.  Who knew it's an ordinary housewife's dream to go dancing with Lyndon Baines Johnson!

Then, for all of you known to imbibe (only on special occasions of course!) you can really make pals with the bartender when you call him or her "The Keeper Of The Bottle"!

I haven't done it so much this season, but scouring the thrift stores for vintage ornaments is one of my my favorite things to do. Colleen saved me a trip...well, one trip...I vow to get to at least one or two this year.

Look at this little being:

Then she found this ornament made from a real egg!

And this dishtowel showing a scene of domestic bliss: 

This lovely sparkly house of seven windows and double doors:

Here is a real treat...a vintage cracker!

I looked closely and saw that it had never been opened. I debated...do I tuck it away as a mysterious little decoration or do I open it (carefully)? Anyone who knows me knows that the cracker stood no chance. I carefully opened it and look what was inside...a mystery scroll!

I unrolled it from its wrappings and:

So now we know this must have been a handmade favor! I wonder who this T.J. Murphy was...look closely...do you see the joke! Aghahahahahaha! Thank you Colleen! I assure you that I've repackaged it good as new and I also got some idea's about making my own Yuletide crackers for our family celebration. 

To top off the dream package...was the package. My favorite part. All of the gifts were placed inside of my new favorite possession...

From the fruit to the handle...to the shape...I love my little suitcase and cannot wait to put it to use in the studio.

Colleen...thank you so much for my wonderful gifts. Just amazing. It was your first swap and you went above and beyond. Special thanks to Selina and Peas and Bees for hosting.

I'll be back tomorrow all! I'm baking pies...

It's All In The Box

Just a quick post to share this cool thermometer box I found at Goodwill. There're a few handmade holiday gifts I'm making that I'd like to put in boxes, but there's no way I'm using new ones.

I got the idea to use puzzle boxes and children's game boxes when I saw a bunch at a lawn sale for a quarter apiece. Most of them are missing pieces (many pieces), but the boxes are intact. I'll use the game pieces as bases for magnets and the boxes to wrap my gifts.

The thermometer box was a real find...vintage, pretty cool in its design, clean and....blue. I've got a thing for retro blue fifties Christmas ornaments. I used to think blue was super tacky on a tree or even on a card, but a few years ago that changed. And I love Hanukkah cards and wrapping paper which are usually blue and white.

I'm starting to become super excited about gift making this year and hope to share a few projects soon.

Oh...for those of you who're new and wondering about my last post and our living arrangements, let me assure you...Mark and I are still married! Mark took a job with the same firm, but in a city three hours away. He's moved ahead of me and I'll move when our condo sells. In the meantime, he's home on the weekends and sometimes during the week. The joke is that he's still home too much for me because as regular readers know...I'm an Aquarius and we need and love our alone time.  My mom and I got a kick out of how I didn't even think twice about it when I titled the picture of the moving van "So Long".  Poor Mark, but he knew when he married me that I wouldn't get weepy about time spent apart. Thank you to Brenda for making me aware that I haven't been clear in case I have new readers.

OK...don't kill me, I know its early, but in honor of my blue box and Mark's absence (agahaahahaha...Just teasing you Mark!):

Right On!

Hey all, just lifting my head up to say hello. I'm so behind on all my planned posting, it isn't even funny, but the good things just keep happening or arriving in the mail...from Texas and Jamaica to Washington and even Wisconsin...I have lots to share, but alas...it may have to be next week. I also have a lovely award from this blogger...Miles Away In France (and she really is miles away in France!). I want to pass it along and will do that and a tag next week too. 

But, speaking of things miles away or from North to South and East to West....I was floored (I'm easily floored) by the discovery that Etsy has a whole slew of videos on You Tube. Which, shouldn't surprise anyone, but while doing a search for something totally unrelated, I found one of their early videos and even though it's old, it really inspired me.

I'm becoming more and more committed to the whole handmade holiday idea...each year it grows.  I'm especially excited when I see people all over the world are in on it. We're making things. It finally hit me today how awesome this feels...whether it's baking, sewing, painting, pottery, jewelry, paper...you name it...even if I take an assembly line method when folding wallets, it's still a one woman assembly line over here. When I watched the video I got inspired and was all teary and like..."Right On People!"...I want everyone in on it too! 

I found out about these books over at Soulemama and think they're brilliant...My nephews are getting some for Thanksgiving and I'll encourage them to make books for the grandparents and their parents as holiday presents. It's a neat way to get in on the whole handmade holiday idea and the books look like real books and support a Wisconsin company if you're local. I know you could make books yourself, but these are $1.50 each and are fully bound hardcovered blank books. Sweet!

I'm turning into a nerd over things like this!  You can encourage kids to make up their own games...My brother and I did stuff like this with cardboard, (we even made a T.V. out of a box and drew the news since we grew up without a television), but would have gone nutso to have a real game board or....one of these. The prices are so low, so it's not a huge investment to have some on hand if you have kids or like to have wild times alone when your husband is here during the week.

OK...Many apologies are due for not getting over to your blogs and getting back to your comments as often as I want to. I plan to spend time Sunday night getting some good reading/responding in.

I hope you're as inspired by this video as I am!

It's Underway!

Oh my...it's been a madhouse over here. I came home after spending much of the night with my friend Kelly celebrating her birthday to find that all the ladies in such a tizzy over this party that they could barely sleep. I finally got my vintage Little Lulu all tucked in, but she swears she won't sleep a wink!

I'll have to show you a little later from start to finish the absolute ransacking they did to my jewelry box...the bracelets became crowns and that's just for starters...more later and many pictures to come!.

Update...OK, things have finally settled down this afternoon and while the party is still in full swing, I'll catch you up on what's happened so far.

Last night the whole house was in a uproar...there was much infighting over who gets to wear what...and  mass insistence that my bracelets are crowns and my rings are bracelets...?

     Then there was at least thirty minutes of fretting over which scent to wear...I finally had to narrow it down to just three choices or the ladies never would have made up their minds and the party would have been long over by the time we they were ready!

Then of course...we had to draw straws to see who got to use the magic satchel (I WON!): 

Poor Mr. Morgan doesn't have much of a sense of style and though he did use my vintage twist on earring to adorn his tail feathers, he felt foolish and embarrassed. He knew good friend and confidant the dapper Mr. Floaty would be in attendance and he worried he'd look completely ridiculous by comparison. He threatened to boycott the entire affair:

  Fortunately we were able to convince him that sometimes, less is more and with his striking old world good looks that he needed very little adornment. He was happy and when Mr. Floaty showed up, we all agreed they looked very handsome together.

Then came the hard decision...how ever would all of us be able to squeeze through the tiny hole in the portal to get to the party?

I reminded everyone that with careful planning and an assortment of charms...anything is possible!

Everyone was so excited when we turned my favorite memento from my father...

into this fleet of ships ready to escort us through the portal...(and with some pretty handsome sailors too!):

But....not before we dolled up our lips with pretty pink sparkling gloss (Mr. Morgan declined).

Whoosh! And away we went...all the food was carefully transported too...We brought Jamaica flower water (whole hibiscus flowers) with lime and brown sugar, thick waffles, strawberries, lots of whipped cream, cookies, goji berries and white chocolate pretzels! YUM!

Such a pretty little sugar ladle!

We were shocked and appalled when Lulu was caught having a pre-party snack! Little Lulu! How could you? Have you no shame? Oh well, we can't blame her...it was way too tempting, so we took her picture...she was so happy, we couldn't be mad!

Well, we set off and spun through the portal to arrive at such magnificent sites as these... And we arrived not looking much worse for wear...Though Rosalie did lose a necklace, but picked up a nasturtium along the way...

Lulu sailed through the portal exit and landed on the business end of a crystal! Ouch...but as you can see, she was so happy to be at the party that she struck a pose and made the best of it!

Everything was just dandy...we enjoyed the cakes Vanessa made and didn't feel too out of place even though we were not as dressed up as most...but, we ran into a little snag later in the day.

You see, someone (Lulu denies it) brought along a vial of Green Fairy liquor. Uh-oh. Things got all topsy turvy and someone went head over heels while another certain someone lost her head!

Lulu was just plain silly and hurled the jade and silver teapot into the air...it landed in a pine tree and she was hysterical over the fact that it would now be a pine tea...

No one else thought it was funny, so she hurled it into a rose and called it a tea rose. Ouch! Don't encourage her. It's OK though, she really doesn't need encouragement...she's always happy to amuse herself and be her own best audience! 

Though, I have to admit I got a kick out of her when she put the copper fairy lampshade on her head!

Of course there are always little glitches in any good plan and we did have a bit of a snafu when we realized our sailors got carried away with Vanessa's mermaids and we were left without transportation home...we knew we could fly, but were unsure of the route...It's a good thing we brought along a special friend...you know what they say about elephants? They always remember!  Doesn't he look just dandy in his vintage trim cummerbund (isn't the correct spelling terrible-I much prefer cumberbund)? 

And as this guy began to lead the way, I grew a little concerned because he pulled out a map??? I thought they always remembered?

He assured me it was just for show, but he did pull it out several times on our journey. I won't complain, after all...he did get us safely home.

Well, except for one of us.

Mr. Floaty got into the Green Fairy liquor too. The results were disastrous. The golden feathers of some fancy bird caught his attention and they flew off (rather crookedly) together and missed the ride home.

Poor Mr. Morgan is feeling quite rejected and has retired to his nest for the remainder of the day (at least).   

Oh! We found a little wooden shoe in the portal that doesn't belong to us...do you know whose it might be?

Drop a line if you do. Oh, drop a line anyway because if you do, you just might win a special prize..truly special because there are no consolation prizes this time...but, the winner will be pleased as punch!

 

Hibiscus Flower Water With Brown Sugar & Lime:

2 oz whole hibiscus flowers (also called Jamaica in Mexican grocery stores)

1/2 cup (at least) brown sugar

Lime wedges

Boil a quart of water, take off of heat, add flowers, add sugar, stir, steep until cool, strain...pour into glasses with ice cubes and lime wedges and enjoy!  You can also use agave syrup and Rose's Lime or Pomegranate (Grenadine) syrup to make it even more sweet and delicious!

Such a nice thank you to Vanessa for extending such a nice invitation and inviting us to be a part of her 200th blog post celebration! You really know how to throw a party!

Just A Reminder!

This special person is hosting the party of all parties on her enchanted land on her blog this Saturday. I've never been to a blog party before, but when I saw Vanessa was hosting one, I quickly got my name on the list! If you have ever been over to her blog you'll know that she is quite the hostess and that her party is sure to be so "real" that you'll feel like you are in her backyard all dolled up and ready to partake!

Be sure to stop by....crashing is allowed! I'll have some fun things going on over here oops..I mean over there too!  Vanessa really goes all out...and with her love of Shirley Temples and Mascara, I feel like she is a kindred spirit!

Also, Mandy has her weekly tea review up!

That's How The Light Gets In...

Happy New Year Kitchenettes! I already posted my resolutions and tomorrow I'll post the household food inventory, but today I wanted to share a few gifts with you.  This is going to be a long post, but I hope you'll bear with me because well, I like being "beared" with.  :) I feel so much gratitude for all of my recent gifts and experiences and I want to share. I hope you all get the idea that it isn't always roses in my mind and that often I struggle to find balance, but I'm feeling extra optimistic this year.      

I have the good luck to have been dropped on the planet in the midst of very creative friends.  I've received many handmade gifts over the years and treasure every one.  The latest was quite a surprise and one I'm still marveling over a week later.

Kelly should be famous for her gift books; enchanted journals she fills with important and non-important facts, tidbits of information, recipes, quotes, spiritual references and pictures. Each one is custom made for the recipient based on her observations of what they would most enjoy. When I saw one she made a few years ago, I was absolutely floored and wanted my own so bad it ached! But, how do you ask for one? Well, you don't, and I didn't. 

I stopped by her house briefly on Christmas Eve and left my grandmother waiting in the car (I didn't even realize I'd turned the engine off leaving an 86 year old woman sitting in the cold...I'm passive  aggressive that way!).  Kelly's place looked so peaceful. A cozy looking throw on the couch, some books scattered around, a DVD on pause...it looked so inviting that I kind of wished she'd take my grandmother to our family Christmas and let me hold down the fort at her place alone for awhile.

Kelly handed me a bag and told me that if at any time the family stuff got too overwhelming that I should slip away and open the gift. We said our goodbyes and I headed out to the car where my grandmother was in the midst of exaggerated shivering insisting that she wasn't cold (She's passive aggressive that way). We headed to the family get together and even though all was well and everyone was on good non-dysfunctional behavior, I felt the need (like I often do) to claim a few minutes of space for myself. I headed outside and to my car to clear my energy and to open Kelly's gift.

As soon as I saw what it was I began to cry. I was instantly caught off guard by this:

Kelly doesn't have Internet access at home (one of her charms) and had no way of knowing I'd posted this song on this blog just the day before!  We'd never even discussed my love of Natalie and her lyrics.

The whole book is a treasure chest...here she writes detailed information about every zodiac sign. The pictures she uses perfectly illustrate traits of each one. I have to laugh because I'm an Aquarius and as most of my friends will attest to, I love to come bearing gifts! Plus, Aquarius is known for mixing patterns and colors and having a rather quirky fashion sense ... I don't live up to the Aquarius ideal, but believe me, in my heart there lives is a quirky fashionista just dying to emerge!

I've never mentioned that The Princess & The Pea is one of my all time favorite spiritual journey tales and that I'd planned to re-write it as a fairy tale for women.  How interesting that she'd use this picture to illustrate the dreamy side of Aquarius. 

Here, she gives information about all seven chakras including commonly associated stones and oils...

Then, MY MOST FAVORITE SECTION!!!!

I love tidbits of information and as a couple of my friends know, I can't stand not being in the know.  Imagine my delight and outrage at seeing this list and discovering all that I didn't know.  My favorite? A collective of owls is called a "parliament"! Perfect! I also like knowing that a group of larks is called an "exaltation".  It was bittersweet...all this delightful new information, but knowing I've gone thirty-eight years without it.

Then came the Love Offerings section. Did you know that Joe DiMaggio had fresh red roses delivered to Marilyn Monroe's crypt three times a week for over twenty years? 

Recipes:

Quotes:

My favorite, since I often refer to myself as overflowing (good and bad) and well, I'm OK with being famous with God.

More facts:

The pages go on and on and there are far too many to show here, but the last page is this picture with this Leonard Cohen quote (I love Leonard and had never mentioned this to Kelly!)

How do you even begin to thank someone for such a beautiful and thoughtful handmade gift? Thank you so much Kelly.

OK...Now that you're sure I must be done, I'll push it further with some highlights of my whirlwind 24 hours no sleep drive there and back in one day Chicago trip.

Lunch at my new favorite pizza place where the crust is crispy yet chewy and only lightly adorned with  Fior Di Latte Mozzarella.  Spacca Napoli on Sunnyside.   

If you live nearby and haven't been, you must get over there at once. Biggest regret? Seeing the disappointed look on the chef's face as he offered me a complimentary slice of black truffle pizza and I declined because I truly was too full. I blew it folks. I just plain blew it. Who the hell turns down a slice of free black truffle pizza offered to you by the man who made it?  I'm so disappointed in myself I can't stand it. I demand a second chance!   

Browsing Merz Apothecary on Lincoln. A haunt of my broke teenage years where buying bars of their soap made me feel like a queen in training.

Then to Julius Meinl for hot chocolate served with unsweetened whipped cream on a silver tray with a slim glass of water, a sugar packet and a silver spoon.  The sugar is just in case the chocolate isn't sweet enough...I didn't use mine, because my chocolate was perfect.

Then to Transitions Bookplace for a dose of enlightenment.

Then to Dee's on Armitage (near where my parents lived when I was born) for spring rolls, chicken kung pao, and jasmine tea.  And the best fortune for the new year I can imagine!

Then to Martyr's to see James McMurtry.

It was my first time seeing/hearing him live...he was amazing. The crowd was alive and though I felt a little self conscious as women around me danced, I reminded myself that while life may be short, I'll get my confidence back and dance at another concert. I was six to ten feet from the stage and totally caught up in watching him sing and play. I wondered if he ever wonders if people really get his lyrics. The music is so upbeat and moves you, but to me it's all about the lyrics...sad, cynical, truthful and poetic. It's quite a contrast to hear the lyrics against the jamming music, but he makes it work. He's a Pisces, so that explains it all.

I also have to share with you another gift and considering that my self-esteem has been down a bit lately, it couldn't have come at a better time. I think many women would agree that compliments from the men and women in our lives who know us and love us are important, but an unsolicited (and respectful) compliment from someone standing next to you in a store has a certain pleasure all of it's own.

I was in Merz and feeling a little klutzy having just accidentally kicked some regal looking woman's shopping bag while I examined incense not realizing I was blocking the check-out.  I moved away and and happened to comment aloud (good grief) as I picked up a bottle of skin serum "I use this because I have issues."  A man next to me looked up and looked at me and said, "You have beautiful skin".  Sigh. It couldn't have been better timed. I had been enjoying my day and all of the sudden was feeling a little dowdy in what I recently told Nancy I refer to as one of my middle aged frump costumes. I could have let me start to get me, and might not have enjoyed myself feeling very Green Bay-ish in a city I used to feel at home in, but that little compliment that I'm sure many women would take for granted made me feel so good. I often feel at once invisible and yet too big for the room...are you sometimes self-absorbed like me? Wanting to be noticed, but not wanting to be noticed? I guess if you are going to be noticed it should be for something nice...Thanks Mister!   

Happy New Year everyone and I'll  be checking your blogs out this afternoon and tomorrow hoping to get caught up on the happenings in your worlds!         

                           

And To All A Good Night

I'm off to bed, but not before pulling a Nigella...well, actually it's not really a Nigella since I put my treat on plate and am not eating in front of the fridge, but you know what I mean.   A late night snack ...my mother's homemade crepes with almond creme filling (courtesy of Julia Child).  It's a tradition and one of my mom's specialties...My mother in-law has a few specialties of her her own, but I didn't take enough pictures of the amazing spread she put out for us last night including at least six varieties of her cookies.   

I'm ending what has to be the biggest blog posting jag I've been on in awhile with hopes that all of you are feeling peaceful and content...at least for the moment.

Sweet Dreams Kitchenettes.      

Messages in Bottles

I find it very interesting that two of my friends, who happen to be polar opposites in many ways, had similar mindsets when it came to the gifts they gave me this year. Each of them filled a "container" (Janet a light blue backpack and Janice a colorful felt clutch) with thoughtful treasures. 

From Janet, were gorgeous red poppy seeds, retro dessert plates, children's books and a blank canvas (literally blank-she's an artist and she'll make me a painting as soon as I settle on a color for my office walls and she gets the feel of what will be good for the room). 

From Janice, a gorgeous faceted amethyst bead, a pyrite abundance disc, a turquoise bead with scalloped edges (unusual on a bead), gorgeous earrings and a whole assortment of other pretty baubles each individually wrapped and with significant meaning.

Then, each showed their generosity of spirit in a similar yet entirely different way. Janet created a Wish Jar (pictured above) and filled it with little slips of paper each identifying something she wished for me or something that she appreciated about me as a friend.  She's hoping I'll add my own wishes to it as well.  I had a bad afternoon the other day and it was so much fun to sit down with the jar and read about all the good things I have coming in the future as well as how great I am now! :)

Meanwhile Janice was eight states over putting her wishes for me in a teeny tiny little small wee petite almost invisible abundance capsule! Scented with essential oils including frankincense, clove, ginger, spruce, orange, patchouli and myrrh   

How two friends who are so different had such a commonly themed idea is beyond me. Though, they're  more similar than each would think in one way. I was thinking about it and realized (this is going to sound odd) each is very linked to animals. Janice's cat Tiki is the reigning king over there and drinks his water from a goblet while Janet spends more time cooking and making food plans for her animals than herself ( I once asked her what she was making and she said, "chicken and rice". I said, "Sounds good! Good for you for cooking!" Then she said it was for Aero...her dog!" Both value nothing more than their pets.  It's a funny similarity, but one I just realized. 

Thanks for the wishes guys! 

If A Blogger Posts On Christmas & There's Nobody There To Read It...

A few favorite images of the season from blogland...I have so much to post about and will be trying to take pictures (in natural light) today...Janice: I can't post the beautiful fairy because it won't let me  save it to my own computer...please post her on yours soon.   

From Beauty That Moves

From pixiegenné

From Java Jibber

From pixiegenné

The Pasta-bilities Are Endless

Trust Nancy to come up with not only a great post title, but something chocolate and previously unheard of over here at Little Orange Kitchen.  Chocolate pasta shaped like chocolate curls!  She not only makes the best spicy Mayan hot chocolate you've ever had, but now she's off scouring the peninsula for more treats like this!

I was thinking something desserty---like a raspberry chocolate sauce thickened with a little marscapone...but Nancy suggested perhaps a cold pasta salad dressed with fig vinegar would pair well.  Now that's a suggestion I can get behind! Nancy??? Are you there? What else did you suggest?? Please put it in the comments. Inquiring minds want to know.  I ate an uncooked one just a minute ago--very rich and bitter---not sweet at all---this bodes well for getting the deep flavor of chocolate in any dish.    

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Five posts in two days....YIKES!   

A Treat Fit For The King

I'm off to bed, but not before having a snack served on one of the plates Janet gave me today. Thanks Janet!

I know blue and pink sugar crystals on Christmas cookies may be a bit kitschy/campy...but, I love a little camp and kitsch. Here's the proof: 

Shorties

I think I'll be posting  a lot of short posts between now and Christmas. Probably fairly photo heavy...Tomorrow night I'll take a picture of the full tree, but here are a few of my ornaments.  I decided to break with tradition and not do a mermaid tree this year, but I did use my mermaid tree-topper and hung my very favorite ornament (Above-a handmade glass mermaid).

Anne Boleyn...I got her in England and even though she looks a little apprehensive, she's safe with me. Not unlike Laverne De Fazio, she's partial to her initial.

I made these about fourteen years ago and thought  Martha would come calling because of my brilliant idea to use brown rice for the hair.  Martha never came.

P.S. The Soap Nuts work very well!

P.S. Double S: I cheated and used a Gluten-Free mix for the cookies in the last post, but added nutmeg, an extra tablespoon of butter, orange extract and hazelnut extract...Plus, I baked them longer than was suggested because the sugar slightly caramelizes, giving them an extra rich flavor. 

Sweet dreams all...I'm off to bed.         

      

The Three Graces

I've always loved the Three Graces, and this year I'm using these graces as inspiration.  After all, what  could represent beauty, charm and joy more than a small  batch of Gluten-free hazelnut butter cookies lightly dusted with nutmeg? 

 
 

Soap Nuts

I realize I could be pushing it with this post.  You guys were great about the fudge cheese, but this might be the product that officially tips the scales in the other direction.

Soap Nuts. Yep, soap really does grown on trees. I saw these the other day and while I'm very open to new things, I hesitated. Could this really work?  To be honest...I still don't know. I haven't tried mine yet. My main concern is that they work and are as economical as they're touted to be. I don't have to be sold on the chemical-free all-natural aspect. I'm in already on that because both of us have sensitive skin over here.

I don't want to jump on the bandwagon until I'm sure that two nuts really will do a whole load of warm or hot water wash. I saw a large box for $9.99 and while it was a better deal, I opted for the sample size. I don't use fabric softener ever, so reading that these little nuts are also fabric softening was appealing.

Apparently, using them in cold water is a bit more of a process, but they still work. You can read the F.A.Q.s here...Try not to be immature and tee-hee when you see the "my nuts are all sticky" dilemma. I'm bound get a few more readers from Google searches from that line!

I'll keep you  posted.  Let's cross our fingers because they're 100% natural, free of anything even remotely harmful and if they work...extremely economical.

Oranges and elves go together so well don't you think?
I say he's happier here....

than he is here. It's the original Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

Here he's quietly contemplating his role in life now that the North Pole has officially begun laying workers off on account of the Handmade Holiday craze. He's wishing he'd supported the Union. North Pole Workers Unite!

Tiny Treasures

I can honestly say that when I look over my Self Improvement 500 page notebook  list I can't find a single line having to do with "learn to give or appreciate more".  It's the one thing I feel very good about.

I love to give and I am a fairly good receiver. I used to not be. I always gave (often in inappropriate quantities), but had a very hard time opening gifts in front of people. It felt like pressure.  I've learned to give without anxiety (my gift is too much, not enough etc) and in time I've learned to be a good receiver. I open gifts enthusiastically and love doing it. I'm also good at giving less tangible things things like my time and I give to various social causes as I'm able.

Exchanging gifts can be fun, but really...does there always have to be an exchange? My friend and I just had a discussion about this because things are tight financially for both of us. She suggested that perhaps we just do cards. My heart sank.  She's someone who truly appreciates the fun in small presents and giving to her is a pleasure that I've been preparing for.  I get so much joy from sending her a small holiday box that the thought I might not is very disappointing...though I do see her point.

I just sent her a message urgently explaining that exchanging isn't necessary. More than likely someone will drop off a present for me this year unexpectedly.  When this happens, I will not scramble frantically to find something to give back or make an excuse about how I feel bad or say "I didn't know we were exchanging" etc.  I'll open it happily. I give to people because I want to and not because I have to and I expect people to feel the same about me. I certainly don't want obligatory "Gotta get something for Laura" gifts.  However, I never want to make someone feel uncomfortable or bad like in the case of my friend. She knows me well enough to know how I feel about such things, but she thought we should broach the topic.  Plus, I receive from her by way of support at 2 am when I'm franticly trying to get an order filled and realized I made a mistake on pricing!  She can trust me (and she knows this) not to secretly wish she had sent me a box too. Plus, she's given to me spontaneously many time...my all-time favorite tea mug is a gift from her.             

Now, having said that. I am all for simplifying and it's funny how in the midst of blogland and all this talk of handmade holidays, it looks might complicated out there.  Everyone is trying to get things sewn, glued, baked or knitted. It's exciting to watch and while most of the gifts I'm giving are handmade or handmade by someone on Etsy, I do have a few store bought staples that I make no apologies for.

Look at this organic chocolate from Theo Chocolate's 3400 Phinney line. The art on the wrapper is a gift in my opinion. Look at the colors!!! I love it. I'm not as big a chocolate nut as some women, but I like it in small amounts.  Theo is located in Seattle. You people in Seattle have it made in the shade (except for recently with the flooding. Really, it's a disaster for some)! I wrapped these bars with paper scraps, vintage ribbon and bias tape. Who wouldn't love to receive one?

Then we have a pair of Divine's Fair-trade bars. I love how pretty these look.

I love good quality incense.  I burn a lot and cannot  deal with overly synthetic headache inducing scents, so I really appreciate Shoyeido.  All the scents are soft and in every package there's a tiny ceramic tile burner. Plus, there's no wood stick. Just pure incense.  If you purchase a gift set, you can break it up.      

These are from their Angelic Line and even Mark can handle the scent (he hates incense and smoke with a passion usually reserved for people who harm children, animals and the elderly). 

All these little gifts are under $6.00 and I have no problem giving someone a beautifully wrapped candy bar as a sole gift.  It's simple and to the person who follows my written instructions (that it be enjoyed slowly, privately and in its entirety) to the letter, will be left with an energetic imprint of ecstasy that will last a lifetime. 

Know your audience of course. Some people just can't get behind the Dark Chocolate & Bread Bar.   

"An innovative twist on a traditional pairing, featuring dark chocolate with buttery, toasted artisan breadcrumbs and the perfect amount of salt." 

Or maybe they could have if I hadn't already used it to give myself the energetic imprint of ecstasy! It's called self-love people and I'm so damn in love with myself I might have to divorce Mark!   

By the way...the designer of those chocolate wrappers is Zaara (Márta Windeisen)at Kittenchops. I love her work. 

Hey! Speaking of gifts...My friend Janice just wrote the most rave review of my old shop that I'm speechless! It's everything you hope a once customer turned friend would remember. Thanks Janice!

Happy St. Nicks Day

This is going to be a jam packed post...we have St. Nick's Day, a tag, calendula oil, felted soaps and I'll be closing with a link to the best centuries old Italian Easter Bread recipe in the world.

When I first moved to Wisconsin I was completely unaware of St. Nick's Day.  My mother in-law insisted it was a holiday children celebrated everywhere and I felt extremely duped by my parents. However, I've since learned that while it's celebrated all across Europe, in the United States it's more of a Midwestern thing or a tradition carried on in areas where there are lots of Germans.  This is what Wikipedia has to say on the matter:

"Saint Nicholas Day is a festival for children in much of Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The American Santa Claus derives from these legends.  "Santa Claus" is itself derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas".

Every year Mark and I exchange small gifts. For example this year I presented him with a small pottery bowl filled with Reese's Peanut Butter Trees and he gave me (I chose) these:

 
There's no way to describe these wonders made by Leah over at Homework.  My bars (one for me-the other two are gifts) arrived today and I wasn't sure what to expect. Wow! Olive oil soap completely encased in its own felted wool package and ready to accompany you into the shower or bath. It's a gently exfoliating washcloth and soap all in one! Use for 3 months and then you're left with a little felted ball.  They're in her Etsy shop at $15.00 for three bars.  Plus, if you're lucky enough to live in the Seattle area, she does workshops in her home and will show you how to make these little wonders. That's the generous of spirit kind of blogger I like!         

I have to give myself a pat on the back for the photo. You regular Kitchenettes know my photo taking abilities are often in question, but I love how the one of the soaps came out!

I made calendula infused oil the other day. This is an herbal infused oil that's an excellent soother of all irritated skin (even diaper rash). In fact, it's especially good for skin issues like psoriasis and eczema. Once made, it may be added to any skin care product you make or you may use it straight out of the bottle to treat minor cuts.

I make it because in the winter I tend to get these little dry irritated patches on my face.  Also, if you know anyone with psoriasis, you'll do them an enormous favor by making them a bottle. 

It's simple and calls for the following:

• Sunflower Oil
• Dried Calendula Flowers
• A crockpot (you can do it on a low flame in a saucepan too)

It is important to note that most recipes call for olive oil, but I got to thinking about how the vivid orange of calendula and the bright yellow of sunflowers go so well together. I decided that a little color therapy was in order and that these two would probably be friends in the field so why not the bottle too?

I also left out quantities...Just cover whatever amount of flowers you use with oil.  The flowers are absorbent, so you'll find they soak up a lot of oil. I used eight ounces of oil and two cups of flowers.  I mixed and mixed so the flowers would be coated and floating on half an inch or so of oil.  How many times did I just type oil?

Here is the important part. You can let it steep in a crockpot or a saucepan on low for two to 12 hours. If making a baby bottom oil, just do two hours.  If you're making it for someone with psoriasis or eczema, the longer you steep it the better. Two hour oil has a light herby scent and is light in color. Twelve hour oil has a deep strong scent that you may or may not like.

You must let it cool before you strain it (use a fine mesh strainer-and squeeze all the oil you can out of the flowers) into your favorite jar.  Not only to protect the jar, but also to prevent burns. It's hot oil!

As a word of caution...please do not leave the house with the crockpot turned on thinking you'll come home to perfect oil.  Your brand of crockpot could be better than mine and maybe your low is still hot enough to begin burning the flowers.  I have slightly burned toasted the flowers before, but the resulting oil was extra rich even if a little strong smelling.    

Add your oil to any salve or balm you want. It's good stuff. If you decide to order some Calendula, keep in mind that it's light. The bag in the picture above is only four ounces and its bulk could easily fill a large mixing bowl.

You can also make strong calendula tea and store it for a week or so in the fridge to mist on irritated skin as needed.

My pictures of the straining process were horrendous. I'm sorry.  This site provides some interesting information on the folklore of Calendula. It, like rose, is linked with the Virgin Mary. I may not be religious, but I love symbolic religious associations.   

OK. Now for the tag! I was tagged by Susan in a Seven Random Things tag! OK, let's see if I can keep it short and sweet.

1. I am a big fan of J'onn (The Martian Manhunter). The  Justice League has a holiday episode where J'onn ( a sensitive alien) learns about the good part of human nature. It closes when he's singing and filling Superman's house with beautiful song early Christmas Day morning while petting the cat. He'd felt  bad earlier because Ma  Kent gave him a handmade gift and he had no gift for her.  As J'onn sings, the Kent's listen in amazement and declare that he gave them the best gift ever. It's a tearjerker and watching it has become a part of our Christmas tradition.
2. I love Glinda!
3. I'm going to see James McMurtry live!
4. I know that Latin words for almost every plant on the planet.
5. I take great delight in using profane exclamations.   
6. When I first started blogging I was so excited to be tagged that I didn't realize that established bloggers have done so many tags that they often pass unless tagged by someone they know. And most people wouldn't dare tag a "Super Blogger".  I had no clue about all of this and tagged my favorite (well established blogger).  I emailed her to let her know. She politely declined. I had already posted. I understood, but was mortified once I'd been around for a couple of months and picked up on the unspoken rules. Oh well. I can't be fenced in!
   
7. I used to have an enormous crush on Tom Snyder despite our thirty-three year age difference.

I love writing about myself (in case you haven't noticed), but I know some people prefer not to be tagged...If you want to participate, just post seven random things about yourself on your blog and that you were tagged by me. Then tag a few more blogs and let the blogger know that you tagged her (or him). Attention: this is a choice...no hard feelings if you don't respond to a tag!

I tag:

Janice: Check out her dad's recipe for the Italian Anise bread pictured at the top of this post.

Christine: I love the snowflake card.

Judi: She's a new blogger, go say hello!

Leigh: Because she and I are the last to know about the whole ironing napkins onto cardstock phenomenon.   

Sarah: Because I like that she says this: " I don't have a book, shop, manuscript in production or line of anything, this is just a blog, about me and my life."

Mary Ellen: I like the crushed velvet strawberry ornament tutorial.

OK.  I hope I haven't worn out my welcome with this long post!

Sweet Dreams!

 

Run Big Business

I had to get this game as soon as I saw it at St. Vincent's because of the cute junior executives on the box. It was especially fun to note that if this wallet deal doesn't work out I can always look into my other options:

I've written before that I like to seal little symbols of prosperity within the wallets under the folds where the owner will never see them. I get a kick out of knowing the wallets are imbibed with good wishes and I'm always on the lookout for new things to include. Vintage play money is my newest addition.  There's nothing like a little old money to make me feel like everyone's taken care of!

I love the new "little guys" ...they won't be working their way into the shop because they're for a special order, but next week I'll have the shop fully stocked! Finally!

I wasn't at all sure about this pattern, but I think it turned out well.

Now that my two large orders are done I feel like I can get back into the kitchen! Tomorrow I'm making calendula infused sunflower oil...A must have for all skin types! Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite blogland holiday photos. I'm horrified to say that I can't reference the source because last year when I saw it I immediately saved to use as a private meditation photo and never saved the blog name.

Please, if you recognize your tree, don't be outraged...I always give credit where credit is due...just message me and I'll link to you right away! Seriously Kitchenettes, it makes me feel so peaceful.  The lights are bright, but I imagine them softly illuminating the whole room (looks like an old city apartment to me) and put myself there on a comfy couch, in total silence (maybe the occasional siren since it's the city), with a cat, snow coming down and more visible through the window because of a streetlight and maybe it's two a.m. and I've decided to just fall asleep on the couch. Who needs Shakti Gawain?  (Just kidding Shakti!). 

This is another one I love and at least I can credit it to pixiegenné.

Happy day!                     

Season Of The Magical Child

Ever since I first discovered blogs (I still say blog is an ugly word) and began reading them regularly I've been drawn to one thing. December posts.

When I find a new blog to love, I pour through the archives  hoping to get a real sense of the blogger (usually women).  December is always the month I begin with. There's just something about seeing how other people celebrate (or not) that intrigues me. 

I'm not religious and belong to no organized faith, but I've written before that I consider myself to be very spiritual...or I contemplate my own beliefs quite a bit.  Our family celebrates Christmas, but as a secular holiday and we have another side that also celebrates Hanukkah. I mark the solstice and have been known to make a yule log or two in my time, but I think more than anything, my mother helped me view the season as a time for celebrating the birth of the magical child. 

Now, this may offend people and this isn't my intention, but I mean the birth of Jesus as a symbol of the magical child in us all. Can you imagine how different the world would be if every single child born on this planet was treated as a potential savior? What if we dropped to our knees at every single birth announcement and what if each of us had been treated with such care in our own childhoods?

I didn't have best childhood and certainly didn't have the worst, but I made it through. Holidays used to depress me and I found myself wishing December would just be done quickly. The days were stressful and I seemed to pick up on everyone's hopes, fears and disappointments. In time, it's become easier and the whole celebrating the magic has become fun for me (for the most part). I like to take the time to do fun things and making skin care products to give away is one of them.

I plan to post a lot this month and the picture above is a preview of what's coming tomorrow.  A fantastic facial and body scrub I call Renaissance.   It can be made into any shape you desire...even cut out with cookie cutters and it is 100% natural...no artificial colors, preservatives or fragrances.

So....stay tuned!

Thanksgiving Part Three

This is a fine way to end the day.  Almond milk bittersweet hot chocolate with real organic whipped cream, a piece of pie and a meeting with the fairies.  Good night all.

Oops...an addendum just under the midnight hour...My fifth sale on Etsy came in a few minutes ago. Thank you.

Sweet Dreams. 

Giving Thanks Part Two

Whipped cream by hand:

Another favorite bowl:

My fourth Etsy sale yesterday!

There may be another post later...we're home from my mother's house. My mom deserves a big round of applause for the food! Adam and Jenny deserve bows for the pies and my mother in-deserves high praise for the cranberry-pineapple salad.

Just so we keep this all in perspective, I hope you can visit FreeRice.com soon. I'm still high from my run at level 46. Funny since when I reread these posts it seems like I use the same phrases all the time, but at least I donated a ton of rice reminding myself that I actually have a good vocabulary. It's funny how I'm a person who loves words, but all I usually come up with is "Jeez, you know what I mean right?" 

Thanks-Giving Part One

First, let me say Happy Thanksgiving to all you Kitchenettes who stop by to visit or comment so often! I plan on a few posts between today and tomorrow.

Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. I love everything about it from my traditional early morning reflective walk, the food, the scents and believe it or not, I really do take time to give thanks. I'm sometimes stricken with guilt because even though Mark and I have our struggles, we do have so much. No one is stressed over here because the meal has tapped us out or because we couldn't afford to celebrate with food, which I realize is a tradition and does not have to be part of the act of giving thanks, but having the choice to overindulge or not is a blessing.

When I was about eleven I spent a Thanksgiving in Indiana with some family friends and while there I met a girl in the neighborhood named Anna. Anna (who was about fourteen) seemed to be and have everything I wanted. She was very pretty, had an older boyfriend with a car who bought us cigarettes and she wasn't self-conscious about anything. I walked over to her house on Thanksgiving afternoon and we sat in the bedroom she shared with a sister on a twin bed smoking Malboro Lights and suddenly it occurred to me through my whirly nauseated haze (from proving that of course I inhale all the time) that there were no signs of Thanksgiving Day festivities.

I asked Anna if they'd eaten already or if they were going over to another house later. Anna just shrugged her shoulders as she put on her purple eyeliner and ran one of those powder foundation pads across her cheeks and said that her mom might make some pudding or something, but that it was no big deal since they "never have any money anyway."  I kind of played it off like it was no big deal for our family either and then we heard a honk and it was her boyfriend coming to take her to a park where everyone was going to be partying.

I walked back to the house we were visiting by myself and I felt off kilter. It wasn't that I felt sorry for Anna as much as I felt disturbed...she was fourteen, her boyfriend was old enough to drive and her mom knew about it, she was matter of fact about not having money for food, but also matter of fact that no one really seemed that interested in cooking anyway. I didn't get a sense that anyone thought something was missing and it disturbed me because while I didn't want Anna to feel bad, I somehow wanted her to at least want more.  It troubled me and yet I didn't know if it was appropriate for me to be troubled since maybe it was better to not want more.  I was only eleven and when I look back it sure seems like I put a lot of pressure on myself to "understand" everything.    

Time went by and I had my own age inappropriate boyfriends and my own family holidays that were less than stellar (sometimes it seems the family holidays in blog-land are remarkably sanitized. Doesn't anyone out there have dysfunction?)...but, I think through it all, I knew there was an ideal and I wanted it. I know Anna had many real reasons for developing her nonchalance, but I never forgot it and think of her tenderly quite a bit, especially now that I'm an adult and  know how young fourteen really is.

I guess what I'm trying to say, in a real take the wind out of your sails downer way, is that I love this day not only because of what I do have, see and feel, but also because of what I want to have, see and feel. That in spite of any hardship in my life, that I made it through without the wall or limit signs going up. I am truly grateful for what I have around me.

We're headed over to my mother's later...We're all bringing dishes and I started a few things earlier...Here's a glimpse.   Oh, and because we do have some dysfunction, I'm hoping everyone stays on good behavior! :)

Cranberry, raspberry and pomegranate jelly in the early stages:

Waldorf Salad before the apples:

A favorite bowl:

A favorite bowl filled:

Mark's favorite (and yes, that's a lot of bacon):

More later folks!

                                                   

And Visions of Sugar Plums Danced in Her Head

Happy Halloween Kitchenettes! I know the title of this scarily long post isn't right for this particular holiday, but if the greenhouse next to us can begin selling live Christmas trees on Halloween and Osco can put the Halloween candy on clearance to make room for red and gold foil Santas, then I guess I feel justified. 

Besides, this blogger needed a wake-up call and to get out of sugar plum dreamland when she expected that her husband would be thrilled to carve pumpkins with her. This included roasting the seeds and sharing cider, apples, sharp cheddar cheese and popcorn all by candlelight. Turns out I didn't marry a "Honey, let's carve pumpkins!" kind of guy."  Oh well. He has other good qualities and will redeem himself at some point I'm sure.

I carved a pumpkin myself while we watched Day Watch (The sequel to Nightwatch Nochnoy Dozor-the first blockbuster hit made after the fall of the Soviet Union).  My poor little pumpkin was the last one in the bin.  His face was dented, he can't stand up on his own and his skin was all marred and scarred. It was love at first site. Doesn't he look pleased as punch to have been chosen?  Note to Mark: People who don't carve pumpkins don't need to fall over in hysterics when they're shown pumpkin-carving-contest worthy masterpieces.

I made a fantastic salad with butter lettuce, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, oranges, feta and crispy panchetta.

On the wallet note:  I made these two yesterday.  The first is an odd paper from Bertini in Florence, Italy. I thought it was a little weird and yet I was drawn to it. A friend saw it and ordered a wallet right away. I pointed out that the scrolls are actually birds. Odd. I appreciate this paper, but it just isn't me. I do like the color brad I chose for the closure though. 

Then I made this one with this silk-screened cotton rag paper which is a little harder to work with because of its thickness.  I do like it though...and that's a good thing because I have more!

I was over at this store on Etsy, was looking through her favorites and discovered Cate Rangel.  Wow! I love these prints. I've always loved Klimt and Modigliani ... the colors, shapes and long faces remind me of both. I like her mod-ish, but still almost ethereal looking women. I wish she did note cards. Her print prices are very reasonable and I hope you visit her just to take a peek around. 

Lastly! I was tagged by Jenna Lee at Artrageous Afternoon!

Here are seven random things about me. I tried to keep with a Halloween-ey theme.

Seven Random Things:

1. I went trick-or treating until I was 19.  I was short and my friend Sherri was tall, so she played the adult who was taking me out and carried a second bag for the "sick little brother at home"! I went as a Cabbage Patch Doll to play up the "I'm only 10" factor! We weren't fooling anyone, because we did got disgusted looks along with our candy.
2. Most embarrassing Halloween Story...Sherri and I didn't realize it, but we trick or treated at a former classmate's house. He was home from college. He opened the door and we almost died. He looked at me and said, "Looks like someone has a lot of growing up to do." I stood there in my ponytails and diaper feeling deeply ashamed of myself, but I still held my bag out for the Junior Mints. Hey, Junior Mints is Junior Mints. 
3. Second most embarrassing Halloween Story...One year (we were eighteen) Sherri and I went as overstuffed hobos with enormous guts (TWO PILLOWS EACH). We were belittled by a forty-something year old dad who thought trick or treating at our age was really obnoxious. We said nothing and held out our bags. He dropped a Snickers into each one and called his whole family over to scold us. As we were leaving I tripped on my extra floppy bum pants and men's shoes and fell down all the stairs. I couldn't get up because of the pillows and my hysterics. Sherri ran away peeing her pants!  The whole family had their horrible little evil faces pressed against the living room window laughing at me. I couldn't get up so I had to roll half a block down the sidewalk and behind a bush where Sherri was hiding.
4. Favorite Halloween candy: Milky Ways
5. Least favorite candy: Cinnamon discs and those orange and black paper wrapped peanut butter things.
   
6. The night Adam (my little brother) and I decided to disown our parents:  The Halloween my mother decided nobody needed sugar and passed out single sticks of Care-Free sugarless gum to our friends.
7. The night Adam and I should have disowned our parents: The Halloween my mother threw together last minute costumes (we were 4 and 5) and Adam wore a white sheet with holes cut in it over his head as a ghost.  My family is racially mixed and Adam was the only black kid in the whole small Maine town and most certainly the only one to show up with a white sheet over his head.

Ok. You know the drill...I'm tagging these individuals...If you want to participate please post seven random things about yourself...no theme necessary. If  you do not want to participate...no hard feelings...this is supposed to be fun! I love being tagged, but I know some people don't. I'm showing Michelle and Emicat some mercy by not tagging them again. :)    

Judi: She's a new blogger in England...stop ever and say hi.

Rachael: She lives in a farmhouse in France...who's not going to want to take a look at that?

Mary Ellen: A recently discovered and visit worthy find!!! 

Monica...She blogged about her year of simplicity and got rid of all her debt, bought a new house and is the queen of reflection when it comes to spending and noticing money patterns.

Thanks all!!!!!!

p.s....Glad to read you guys like pomegranates too and to those of who commented or emailed about the apples...I always use whatever is on hand. I think I used Macintosh and Pink Ladies yesterday.

A Little Less Conversation A Little More Action...

Janet has mentioned Saint Vincent's thrift store to me on more than one occasion. Once she even mentioned they have fabric and another time she mentioned that their prices are a lot better than Goodwill. I always listened and sometimes commented, but it never really sunk in. I've lived here for 8 years and regularly complain that we don't have "good thrift stores" like the Brown Elephant in Chicago. I've commented that Fox Valley and the Salvation Army are about as good as it gets, so you'd think I would have hightailed it over to St. Vincent's a long time ago. Nope.  I finally made it over yesterday.... 

My trip to Chicago was good and the visit went well, but I had a bad driving experience on Michigan Avenue. I made a minor driving mistake and even though I was immediately apologetic and raised my hands and mouthed, "I'm sorry! My bad!" a man in a van totally and completely lost it.  He was such a pea-brained clod that he had to hold up traffic further, block my car from moving and berate me! I have never (and I mean never) been yelled at by another driver.  I've only been driving for three years, but still...no one has ever gone ballistic on me. Plus, I had two 85 year old women in the car with me singing along to Candi Stanton and Neko Case. How dare he ruin our good time!

It shook my confidence a great deal and while I made the four hour drive home just fine yesterday, I was still feeling a little bad about it. I decided that since I've been doing so well on both my diet and my "spend less money" plans, that I would treat myself to a pick me up at a thrift store. I was near where Janet had said St. Vincent's is, so I decided to give it a whirl.

OH. MY. GOD.

How could I not have visited sooner?  It's huge, cheap, well organized and filled with rows upon rows of good stuff.  So this is where all the "good stuff" goes?  I was weak and staggering from the shock, plus I was so overwhelmed by the size and choices that when one of the volunteers spotted me, she came over to ask me if I was OK!!! She said I was "peaked and didn't look well" !!!Agagagaagagagaagagagaagha! I'm not kidding. I was just blown away by the linens, fabric, ornaments, kitchenwares, office supplies, books and well, everything!! I spent $12.00 and they had to give me a big box to carry my stuff out!

I called Janet and told her I finally checked it out and couldn't believe it took me so long!  She just laughed and said she understood.  She'd had the same experience when she finally went on craigslist to see the Free section after I had been telling her about it for a year!! Maybe we both needed the extra time to prepare ourselves for the shock and awe of it all.

Here are some of my finds...minus a few items that are Christmas gifts. Speaking of which, I love those vintage glass ornaments that have wire or pipe cleaner around the stem so you can wrap it around the tree branch instead of hanging it...I found a ton!

Last year I would have made fun of this hokey jewelry box I got for a quarter, but this year I just love it! It still plays music and the ballerina still spins!

I'm not a huge fan of mixed patterned quilt blocks, but found a whole bag of them for $1.00 and plan to use them for potholders.  Someone already did most of the work by sewing all the scraps together.    

Then, when I got home with haul, my soap from Pandora's Button Box was waiting for me! It smells so good and she included extras which I didn't get a picture of. I love the tag!

My day closed well and the jerk from yesterday was almost forgotten. I've learned that when it comes to deals...less talking and more doing is the name of the game!

Plus, I'm doing my very first blog swap! More on that tomorrow!