polka dotting my i's

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

I received the most amazing Valentines from three lovely ladies via Aunt Peaches' Valentine Swap! It was my second year joining the fun, and it is such a lovely thing to be part of, you should try it for yourself some time. I love the hand-crafted cards I received from Christine and Irene, and do you see that adorable heart rainbow pin that Elizabeth made? I wore it to work today, of course. Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!

P.S. I made this Valentine's Day arrangement in a flower class I have been taking for a few weeks now. I need to do a full post on it, it is so much fun!

I heart valentines

2012-02-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

I really like Valentine's Day — especially here in the US, with all the craftiness that's going on everywhere in order to churn out some cute valentines. And who can seriously not enjoy a holiday that makes shades of red and pink appear everywhere? Here are my valentines. My paper heart garlands from last year are making a reappearance, and I love sending out such colorful mail. And at some point in my life I will actually learn how to do pretty hand lettering. For now, I'll plead "Lefty!" and pat myself on the back for stepping out of my comfort zone.

Pretties on plates: Food photography workshop

2012-02-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

I took a food photography workshop with David Duncan Livingston earlier this week (you can see his beautiful work here and here). I've always had a vivid interest in food styling and food photography, so I really enjoyed the opportunity to be in the same room with a group of photographers and chefs and try my hand at styling and shooting. I will post some of the pictures I took later, but here is a great video that one of the guys in the class put together.

David asked me to set up one of the scenes we were shooting, and I had a lot of fun with it. He had brought in a variety of tableware and props to choose from, and the restaurant where the workshop was held provided a selection of beautiful, fresh, colorful food straight from their walk-in fridge: clams, watermelon radish, and purple potatoes. Yummy, and so pretty!

Chalk on the cover of O

2012-01-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

I spied this February issue of Oprah Magazine at my doctor's waiting room this morning. Check out that cover! I love just about everything about it. There's an article on Oprah's website about the Making Of and the chalk artist who created the lettering, Dana Tanamachi. Check out her portfolio of custom chalk lettering. So lovely!

French for lunch

2012-01-24T18:28:00.000-08:00

I signed up for an online French class at CCSF this semester. Online, as in "you can study whereever you want to", but not so much "when you want to"—every week there is a list of assignments you have to complete: reading, writing, listening, quizzes, voice recordings, and so forth. Ergo, procrastination isn't really an option here, and that makes it the best combo of old school and new school for me. A few times a week I grab my iPad and sit down at the conference table during lunch, eat the sandwich I brought from home, and learn the most beautiful language there is. Bon appétit!

1. Honeymoon in Paris, October 2006

2. DIY oilcloth lunch bags from Martha Stewart
3. iPad cover with Paris street map on Etsy

I'll have a slice and a puppy, please.

2012-01-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

We walked into our favorite pizza spot yesterday to discover that it had been taken over by the longest and most amazing parade of stuffed animals. Cats, squirrels, pigs, and mostly dogs (dozens and dozens of them!) were lining the walls. All of them were handmade by a couple of local gals, and are made almost entirely of recycled and found fabric: "Old shirts, brocade from the couch, clothes too nice to toss, the bits left after cutting out a dress pattern."

Now, I was already going cuckoo over so much crafty cuteness (I mean, do you see the red one with the polka dots??), but imagine my excitement when I found out that they were up for adoption! For a mere $30, 100% of which will proceed Greyhound Friends for Life, one of these babies could be yours. Clearly a fantastic deal, and consequently only two doggies were left: Stilton and Feta.

Oh wait, did I mention that the dogs were named after cheeses? Yes. You see Brie and Raclette engaged in some canine PDA below.

Anyway: we get to pick up Feta next week when all the puppies (and cats, squirrels, and pigs) are going home with their new owners. And: I had a slice of leftover pizza for lunch today. Oh, the joy!

Holiday party in the park

2011-12-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

This weekend we're having our annual Second Thanksgiving/First Christmas celebration. It's how we celebrate the holiday season in my circle of friends—right in between the two big holidays, since it's the best chance to get everyone together one last time before the year is over, and after/before folks leave town and travel to see their families. We usually share a festive meal at someone's house, potluck-style, so it doesn't get too overwhelming for anybody, and keep things pretty low-key.

Last year, we mixed things up and celebrated outdoors at a nearby park. We grabbed one of the picnic spots with a large table and a barbecue, grilled up some sausages and brought hot soup and mulled wine in thermoses. After it got dark, we headed over to the old Merry-Go-Round that's housed in the park, because nothing says "Festive" like a ride on a shellacked pony.

Sure, or you could put a candle in there.

2011-11-09T22:42:00.000-08:00

We finally made that pumpkin. You know, the One Stuffed With Everything Good? Yes, exactly, that one. One year later, and we finally tried it. And boy-oh-boy was it good.

The hardest part about this recipe was to find the right pumpkin. Not so much the right kind: apparently you can eat any ol' pumpkin, although not all of them may taste very good or have a nice texture. No, size was the real issue here. See, while you may be inclined to eat yourself silly on this delicious stuffed gourd, it will still need to fit in your oven (important!), and you really want it chock-full with stuffing. So, you will need to find a pumpkin with a cavity in line with the amount of goodness you want to stuff in there.

We found a couple of darling pumpkins at the produce store, 8 inches or so in diameter. Aren't they cute? All innocent, thinking they're going to be Jack O' Lanterns when they grow up? Nope, not them. These were stuffed with cheese, bacon, bread cubes, fresh thyme and cream, and baked into the most delicious stuffed vegetable that has ever hit our table. Cut in wedges, and you are being served with a tender, moist, aromatic piece of pumpkin alongside a savory, fluffy, cheesy dream of a filling.

Well, what did you think unicorns are made of?

2011-11-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Fashioned a unicorn costume from the contents of my craft drawer? Check. Gone trick-or-treating for the first time in my life at the advanced age of thirty-something? Check.

Next week, I'll solve the debt crisis.

This is my little buddy M.—he shed his costume as soon as the sugar rush kicked in.

I hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't quite get my act together this year to plan something fun for Halloween at the office, but here are a few pictures from last year's morning gathering—scary mimosas, a ghoulish quiche, and coffin-clad treat bags.

Pumpkin patch psychology 101

2011-10-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

We took a lovely trip to Smith Family Farm this past weekend. It's about an hour east of San Francisco, and while this time of year is obviously all about pumpkins, they also have a variety of farm animals to look at (fluffy chickens or bouffant ducks, anyone?), fruits to harvest, and barn shows to enjoy. The admission does not only buy you a hayride, but also includes your pick of any pumpkin in the field. Which inevitably compels everybody to maximize their Jack-O'-Lantern ROI by hunting for the absolute largest pumpkin they can find. Luckily, said hayride drops you and your pumpkin off at the parking lot, so you can stow that orange monster in your car before you return to the farm to conquer the corn maze.

Felt foliage on display

2011-10-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

I love shuffling through fallen leaves on a fall afternoon walk, and much enjoy the colors and shapes of foliage year-round. Unfortunately, the beauty of a fresh leaf is rather fleeting, and any foliage display will inevitably fade.

A solution? Leaves cut from felt. Not only do they last forever, they're also quick and easy to make, so they can be swapped out or updated based on any mood or season.

I sketched my leaf silhouttes freehand, and with the exception of the gingko leaf they're completely made up. If you like it more realistic, look to nature for a plethora of templates (of course the internet will do as well).

The thicker the felt, the more substantial the leaves will feel, but the harder they'll be to cut out. I had white felt sheets sitting around that were about 4mm thick, and they were great to work with.

Here's the How To:

1. Sketch a leaf silhoutte onto paper (or xerox, print out, etc.).
2. Cut out and affix to felt with straight pins.
3. Transfer the outline using tailor's chalk or pencil.
4. Cut out (the sharper your scissors, the better).

Frame them as you see fit — I used picture frames from Ikea and corrugated cardboard covered with fabric.

Seasonally induced baking craze

2011-10-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's the arrival of fall or our return from a lengthy vacation, but I've been feeling all sorts of cozy and domestic lately. Consequently, I've been all into baking.

I made a blueberry pie on Sunday (the ~~lazy~~ efficient kind: using frozen berries and a store-bought crust), and in search for a savory breakfast treat I tried this recipe for Cheese and Scallion Scones yesterday. They came out great, despite some substitutions on the ingredient list (I didn't have feta or scallions on hand, but grated cheddar, chives, and sundried tomatoes made for lovely stand-ins).

If room wasn't such an issue in our tiny kitchen, I would splurge on some nice baking supplies right now. But for the time being, I'm afraid we'll keep serving the pie straight out of the aluminum dish that the crust came in...

1. Scallop-edged pastry wheel
2. Reversible birch pastry board
3. Porcelain cake stand
4. Ruffled pie dish

Happy Sunday

2011-07-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

Sidewalk beauties

2011-07-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

We went for a drive along the beautiful Northern California Coast last Sunday, and stretched our legs in Point Reyes Station.

I've been trying to carry my camera with me more often again, and take pictures of random things that I find inspiring for whatever reason — cute ideas, colors, textures.

Today we're off to Napa to sample some olive oil. I love summer!

Lunchtime sketch: a Russian cardboard romance

2011-07-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by a Google Doodle the other week — it was a really pretty illustration of St. Basil's Cathedral for its 450th anniversary. So, I spent my lunchtime sketching that wondrous building on a cardboard mailer that I fished out of the recycling bin, using a marker I retrieved from a box of free office supplies in the hallway a while back. Yes, I felt real thrifty that day (also, I just didn't have any proper supplies on hand).

Sketching and I have a teenage crush on each other. We're really awkward hanging out together, and wouldn't ever admit being fond of one another. But if you walked in on us, you knew there was chemistry. Maybe we'll grow up one day and come to terms with our affections, who knows.

Later at home I ended up playing with watercolors to add some of the building's amazing colors to my little sketch. Worse things have been had for lunch.

Every day should start like this

2011-07-21T13:37:00.001-07:00

We're celebrating a birthday at the office, and party committee is at the top of my ToDo list.

Favorite color today...

2011-07-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

...the unexpected green of fresh growth on an orchid I nursed along for months. Yes, it's just roots, but healthy, fresh roots!

Weekly self portrait

2011-03-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

Pretty much since I bought my current laptop with the built-in webcam, I have been taking a portrait of myself at work every Friday. Well, most Fridays. I upload them to a Flickr set, and while it admittedly seems a bit self-centered, it's actually quite fun to see yourself in review like that. I can point out my birthday, Halloween, bad hair days, and the day that we declared to be "PJs at the Office Day."

Inspiration wall

2011-02-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

Whenever I work on a wedding, I begin by gathering images, paper samples, ribbon, embellishments and other pretty things in the couple's wedding colors. I tack everything to a large piece of foamcore board next to my desk, and this becomes my playground for a while. Right now, I live in a pretty world of plums and pinks.

Made with love (and assorted findings)

2011-02-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

These are the Valentines I made for the Valentines swap that fabulous Aunt Peaches threw earlier this month. Have you seen her stuff? This lady is the bomb, seriously. There is not one post of hers that doesn't make me laugh, feel inspired, or want to go out and have cocktails with her. Wearing these, of course.

I made these cards using vintage keyhole fittings I found at the flea market the other week. They're made from bone, and I knew I wanted them the second I saw them. I figured I'd find some creative use for them somehow, and so I ended up designing my Valentines around them. I added some of the mini heart garlands I made and used cardstock from my stash of Craft Supplies That Will Eventually Come in Handy.

Hearts aplenty: Super simple sewn paper garlands

2011-02-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

I was in such a festive and productive mood coming up on Valentine's Day this year that I ended up crafting several dozen feet of heart garlands. Which is great, because with certain things, more is more. Garlands for example. There's got to be several feet of it, or you can't call it a garland. And if you can double-strand them, all the better.

I made these with two different size hearts. The larger hearts are about 1" and I like them a lot, but the miniature heart garlands are so darling I could eat them. Those little hearts are barely 1/2", and there's just something irresistible about seeing so many tiny tokens of love strung side by side and ready to decorate just about anything.

I put together a little tutorial below on a nifty way to churn these out. You'll need a sewing machine, but trust me — it's as easy as it gets. You could make them using different shapes, and in different color schemes. These would be so great as decoration for a party or a playful wedding! They also do a fine job adorning frames and felines.

Okay, let's have at it:

Tutorial: Super simple sewn paper garlands

You can make these from paper scraps, cardstock, photographs, gift wrap, junk mail... if you're anything like me, the question isn't what to use, but what not to. This really is a great project for all those bits of pretty paper scraps that were left over from other projects years ago. (In that alone it is an immensely gratifying project, as it rewards hoarding mentality!) Just don't use anything too delicate, or it will shred in the sewing machine. When in doubt, run a small piece of it through the machine just like fabric and see if it holds up to the stitches.

1. Use a craft punch to cut out as many hearts (or other shapes) as you fancy.

2. Find yourself a strip of cardstock of a decent length, and tape a piece of low-tack(!) tape (e.g., artist's tape) along its long side, so that the tape extends just a little bit over the cardstock.

3. Stick the hearts to the tape, leaving as much space in between them as you like. Give them a gentle push against the tape so that they stick, but keep in mind that you want to be able to pull them off again later. Make sure that the hearts extend over the tape by about the same amount, roughly 1/3 or 1/2 of their height.

4. Get your sewing machine ready to go. Use the thinnest needle and the prettiest thread you have.

5. Put a second strip of cardstock on top of the hearts so that they're sandwiched in between. The point here is to cover the sticky side of the tape, so that it doesn't cause trouble in your sewing machine. Only the top of the hearts is supposed to poke out.

6. Using a short straight stitch, sew right through the top of the hearts, feeding the cardboard strip through your machine at a nice and even pace. When you've reached the end of the strip, grab the next one and feed it in right after the first one, thereby connecting several strips to one long, growing garland.

7. This is what it should look like. Don't worry if your stitches aren't even, it really doesn't matter.

8. When you're reached the desired length, or run out of hearts, stop sewing. Cut the thread, leaving a bit of extra thread at the end for hanging. Carefully remove the hearts from the tape.

9. Wind the garland around a piece of cardboard to keep it from tangling. Happy decorating!

XOXO, me

2011-02-11T14:52:00.000-08:00

I just sent Valentines to three perfect strangers. I hope they'll like them.

Craftymess

2011-02-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

Look, Martha Stewart. That's what a craft room looks like. You know, one that somebody actually crafts in? Yes. That's what happens to it. Not even room for a cat on the table.

Sunday night potlucks

2011-02-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

We started having Sunday night potlucks in our circle of friends a little while ago. With most everybody on a budget, potluck dinners are a great way to get together, enjoy a variety of food, and hang out without running up a large restaurant tab. We intentionally bring more food than we can eat that night, and at the end of the night we divvy up the leftovers so that everybody takes home a bit of everything. Which might be my favorite part, because nothing beats having homemade meals for lunch at the office the next three days without having to lift a finger.

Retro Lunchdosen-Set von uglysanta via Etsy

Alameda Antique Fair

2011-02-07T00:22:00.000-08:00

I went to the Alameda Antique Fair on Sunday. I had been meaning to go for a long time now, and finally got around to it. It was a gorgeous sunny day (I actually got a bit sunburned), and the fair was much larger than I had imagined. My friends and I spent about 4 hours perusing aisle after aisle after aisle, and still didn't make it all the way through. I saw the ingredients for so many wonderful projects out there... I'll definitely be back soon.

Oh-so-pretty spoons

2011-01-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

I saw these adorable dessert spoons in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, and I *love* them. They're made of fine bone china, with unglazed handles and tips dipped in pastel-colored glazes. You can get them from the MoMA store.

Happy 2011

2011-01-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

I know I'm late to the game, but it's still January, right? I've got high hopes for 2011. It may be the year that I finally sort my ribbons, so to speak.

Carve me, stuff me, eat me

2010-11-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

What is it about pumpkins? I just can't get enough of them this time of year. I like to look at them, I like to carve them, I like to eat them.

I much prefer them in savory recipes (I actually didn't know you could turn them into pies and other sweet concoctions, before coming to the US). And thanks to the Mister, who listened to this story on NPR the other day, I've got my eyes on a new recipe to try: a "Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good." I like recipes titles like that. Although, in my opinion, a filling made from cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs deserves to be called "Heavenly", or "To Die For", rather than just "Good."

The recipe appears in Dorie Greenspan's book "Around My French Table", and after looking at what else she is stuffing, kneading, and sprinkling with Gruyere in there, I think I might have to treat myself to an early Christmas present and buy that beautiful book.

Fall picnic

2010-11-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

I love the fall... especially ever since moving to California, where I can enjoy the sight of rain and falling leaves because they don't necessarily mean bitingly cold temperatures and two hours of sunlight per day. I enjoy taking a walk in the rain, shuffling through fallen leaves, the colors, the smells, the cozyness at home.

We got our pumpkins on the first weekend of October, part of a wonderful Sunday trip down the coast with friends. It was a foggy day, but just as we set up our picnic at a beautiful spot overlooking the ocean, the sun started to come out. I had made a large focaccia sandwich to cut up and share, and brought some hot tomato soup in a thermos, which was so pleasant to eat at a slightly chilly seaside lunch. Simple food, dear friends, gorgeous scenery—it doesn't get much better than that, I think.

Saturday morning beauties: Simple Dahlia arrangement

2010-09-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

I went to the Farmers' Market on Saturday morning, right after it opened and before it got crowded. It is very unlike me to be out and about early on a weekend day, but I had to pick up my car before 9am and decided to take advantage of the early morning calm.

I got a lovely bounty of tomatoes, olive bread, sugar sweet corn and two bunches of Dahlias in absolutely irresistible shades of reds, oranges, and pinks.

The Dahlias' heads are large and heavy, and to display them in a flat arrangement, I enlisted a tried-and-true florist tool: scotch tape.

The grid, taped across a vase, supports the flower heads and makes the arrangement appear dense without having to overcrowd it with the delicate blossoms.

Et voilà. I really wish I knew how to paint—I'd love to capture these gorgeous colors.

Cermamic jars revived

2010-09-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

For a recent garden party at my parents’ house, I was looking for some decoration from the “convenient, because on hand” category. Among other things, I found these lovely ceramic jars in a shady corner in the garden, waiting for their big break.

A trip to the farmers’ market at the height of summer in Northern Germany isn’t only a lot of fun, but also pays off when you’re in need of a lot of flowers.

I got bunches and bunches of flowers for little money, and arranged them to happy, colorful bouquets.

Sunflowers, asters and snapdragons looked great in the terracotta-colored jars, and were a fantastic fit for the rustic ambience of the outdoor party.

Which proves once again that the unorthodox use of everday items is a true virtue. It would have been a shame if these former pickle jars had missed their revival as summery vases, don’t you think?

Custom closet on a budget

2010-08-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

After we worked away all of last weekend, I know two things for sure: the remodeling of our bedroom will take slightly longer than anticipated, but it honestly couldn't have started off any better. May I introduce to you my brand-new, custom-built closet?

We replaced our previous "solution" to store clothes — which consisted, among other things, of a broomstick clamped to a small bookshelf, sigh... — with this custom closet we built from Ikea's Ivar shelving units and some wood we got cut to size (= the wide shelf at the top that's connecting the three individual shelves).

The latter part wasn't in the original plan and cost us some extra time, but what do you do when Ikea is oversold on some of the parts you desperately need? Right, you curse, you cry, then you improvise. And in this case, it worked out for the better: getting wood cut for the connecting shelf allowed us to use every inch of space we had available, and made the closet much more stable.

We mounted some Vågen curtain rods to hang clothes from, and added organizers, shoe racks, and a couple of ingenious folding hooks. We fit two hampers in there (on casters!), and can easily add additional shelves if we need to.

Eventually, we'll probably hang a curtain in front of it, but for now we like walking into the room and seeing the result of our work. The whole thing cost us around $350 and was done in a day. Which isn't nearly as exciting as the fact that I have my broomstick back, and can fit an ironing board into my new closet!

Thank You cards

2010-08-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

I finished an order of Thank You cards last week to match a set of wedding stationery I created for (now newlyweds!) Shefali and Samir in July.

The folded cards are blank inside so bride and groom can add a personal note. The design picked up elements from the other stationery items I created for them, like the drawing of the mandap, the traditional canopy under which the Hindu wedding ceremony is held.

Switching tools for the weekend

2010-08-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

I finished an order of Thank You cards this week, and spent many an hour scoring, folding and adhering in a world of cream, maroon and gold. I'll post pictures of it next week, but for now I'm putting down ruler and bone folder in exchange for tape measure, paint roller and a slightly different color palette:

After we've been living in this apartment for almost a year now, we're finally going to renovate our bedroom this weekend. We painted the other rooms before or shortly after we moved in, but the bedroom somehow remained in its original, yucky state.

Soon, very soon, my bedroom walls will radiate a warm, yellow glow. Or so I hope. Below are some of the photos I collected over the months for inspiration...

Tic, toc, retro clocks

2010-08-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

On a stroll through Oakland's Temescal District last weekend, I came across this lovely red toy rocket car in a storefront (the fabulous Scout Home Hardware). Awesome, no?

Upon a second look, I noticed that right behind it stood what is almost the exact same vintage stove we have in our apartment. Granted, ours isn't in quite as good shape, but still pretty close. I liked the big clock they had hung above it and since I keep missing a clock in our kitchen, I took a quick look around online for some retro wall clocks. Here's my shortlist:

From top left, clockwise (har, har):

1. Retro Kitchen Wall Clock in red and aqua.
2. Cream-colored Wesco Classic Line wall clock with timer.
3. Shiny retro clock made from reclaimed aluminum.
4. Kitchen timer and clock in egg-shaped black housing.
5. Round silver metal retro clock.
6. Flip calendar clock.

Talking of the nostalgic charm of everyday household items: here is a shot of a collection of ironing boards at Bakesale Betty's, where they serve as tables to briefly hold the tray with the most amazing fried chicken sandwich you'll ever have.

Surprise office birthday bash

2010-08-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

My friend and former coworker C. is an amazing party planner. For years, she threw the most adorable and custom-themed birthday parties for her colleagues at her job as an office manager. Her sense for party styling is legendary, and yet it's always obvious that the birthday boy or girl's likes and interests are front and center.

Now that it was on me to throw a birthday bash for a colleague at my new job, I channeled my inner C. and organized a small Italian-themed surprise party for my boss, who has a deep passion for everything bella Italia. The green-red-and-white birthday banner was easily crafted from letters I printed on our office printer, and I served up rustic antipasti platters for lunch (easy to prepare the night before and then served on simple white plates).

Rustic antipasti platters:

Cut tomatoes and fresh mozzarella in slices. Serve with fresh basil leaves, good olive oil and a bit of salt.

Peel carrots, cut long ones in half crosswise, then cut lengthwise in ¼” thick pieces. Steam in a pot with little water, minced garlic clove, and a tad of olive oil or butter for about 5 minutes or less. Make sure to not overcook the carrots, they should keep some of their crunch. Drain and let cool. Season with salt and freshly chopped parsley and basil, mix in a couple spoons of olive oil. Let the flavors mingle in the fridge, ideally over night.

Serve with salami, prosciutto, olives, and Ciabatta or a similar kind of rustic bread.

Sewing for Felidae

2010-06-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

Why is it that the majority of all store-bought pet supplies is so ugly? Cat beds and scratch posts make absolutely no exception to this rule. Is that a market niche?

Anyway, I sewed a mat for our four-legged friend from some extremely soft fleece with an art nouveau-inspired pattern in green and white — it just looks better in our living room than plush in beige and dark brown.

I whipstitched the edges by hand, but I'm a pretty bad needlewoman, so the result came out a bit willowy and offers room for improvement.

The cat couldn't care less about my efforts, and continues to prefer laying directly on the couch.

Urchins and peas

2010-05-22T11:17:00.001-07:00

I have a lifelong fascination with the shapes, textures, and colors of sea creatures. I forgot what I was looking for when I came across Heather Knight's Etsy shop, Element Clay Studio, but if I had some extra money to spend, I'd do it here. Her serving pieces and textured tiles are inspired by shellfish and botanicals, and crafted from delicate porcelain.

How lovely are those pea pod bowls? I imagine them filled with an array of different kinds of Ceviche.

Rich

2010-05-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

Something made me think about getting a CSA box a couple of weeks ago, and since I happened to be in a Getting-Things-Done mood, I sat down, did a little Google searching, and signed up for a weekly box of fresh local organic produce from Full Belly Farm. I chose them, among other things, because they deliver to my office. Nothing wrong with a little convenience when you're doing a generally good thing, if you ask me.

I got my second box yesterday, and I am absolutely in love with it. We used to get CSA-style produce a while back when we lived in SF, and I had forgotten how happy it makes me. I love having to improvise meals around whatever happens to be in the box, and have discovered many new favorite veggies that I would have never picked up at a market otherwise. Escarole? Fava beans? Even kale.

I love having to wash my lettuce three times because there is actual DIRT on there. Real dirt, and a lot of it. Reminds me of the veggies out of my grandparents' garden growing up. I found a ladybug in my first box, and two caterpillars in this week's.

Talking of lovely unexpected finds: When I came home yesterday, I found a paper bag hanging on my door, filled with four wonderful loaves of fresh bread. Our neighbor Amy is attending baking school, and whenever she has a lot of extra bread, she shares it with her friends and neighbors. She is officially the greatest neighbor ever. I ate about half of one of the loaves before I had even put away all the veggies.

Learning new tricks

2010-04-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

I took another bookbinding class last weekend: "A Cord Runs Through It", at the San Francisco Center for the Book.

The style of the book I learned to make in this class is totally different from the traditional case-bound books I made in the past, and I'm not sure how much I like the loose, crafty feel of this book, but it was definitely fun to make. The signatures are sewn onto cords, and the covers are made from two layers of handmade papers, with the cords sandwiched in between.

I'd like to try to adapt this technique to come up with something a little bit more polished, but it's always so much fun to take a class and learn a new technique.

Springtime

2010-03-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

It feels like I just wrote about Christmas, and now it's suddenly spring!

I've been working at a brand-new design studio here in Berkeley since January. My friend C. planned our launch party, and hooked us up with some lovely decorations. One of her ideas were these beaker vases.

We hung three each on a pair of walls that separate our main work area from the entrance. For the party they had calla lilies in them, right now it's daffodils. I think pebbles, rolled up handmade paper, or dried plants would look equally well.

Rejoice, exult!

2010-01-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

One of my most interesting projects lately was the repair of a copy of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. The full score belongs to my Mom, and has so for about 30 years now. And since every self-respecting church choir performs the Christmas Oratorio once a year, this piece of sheet music had definitely seen better times.

Purchasing a new copy was pretty much out of the question: After 30 years of singing Bach's tunes, my Mom had recorded such a wealth of notes and comments in the book, that it had become a nearly irreplaceable document.

So I gathered book loads of information on book repair and conservation, and got to work. After removing the old case and all glue residue with the help of wheat paste, I was able to separate the signatures.

The outer fold of each signature was torn or severely weakened in most of the gatherings; the rest of the signatures was in fairly good condition. I guarded the folds with strips of japanese paper. The strips aren't being cut, but torn wet, as the frayed edges blend into the pages better than a hard cut edge would.

After repairing all signatures I re-sewed the text block and made a new, stronger case for the precious piece.

I added new cream-colored endsheets to the text blook and cased in the book. Done! Rejoice! Exult!

More Before, During, and After pictures here.

Cozy in Geneva

2010-01-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

We got stranded in Geneva on our way out to Germany, which actually turned out to be quite nice. Sure, it was cold and we didn't have our luggage, but we wandered the streets and drank vin chaude and enjoyed the adventure.

I saw these lovely knitted cup warmers in a store window. Such a cute idea, and the timing couldn't have been better: Just a few weeks ago I had decided to finally learn how to knit socks — in blatant defiance of my poor knitting skills and lack of patience. But see? Even if I never learn how to do more than the upper part of the sock, I can still turn it into one of these!

Happy New Year, may it be a cozy and creative one!

For coffee, tea, grog

2009-12-19T14:04:00.000-08:00

Santa brought us these adorable harbour mugs last year, so that we don't need to miss Hamburg quite as much.

They were crafted by Hildburg Lucardis Wittke and cure thirst and homesickness equally well. The mugs are light as a feather and the harbour scenes in their happy pastel colors are so much more darling than the usual Hanseatic imagery you'd find on a souvenir mug.

Fortunately our yearly visit to Northern Germany is imminent, right in time for the pinnacle of hot beverage season, and so we'll be spending Christmas drinking hot mulled wine (aka Glühwein) and singing a shanty or two.

And for those of you who really feel like having a grog now, there's a recipe in Marion's Kochbuch that'll also teach you how to avoid a hot mess on the kitchen counter.

Deck the halls, a little bit

2009-12-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

My Christmas decoration is fairly minimal this year, and I only used supplies I already had. Since we will be spending Christmas back home in Germany, I held back on decorating over here and am all the more exited about advent wreath, tree & co. over there.

Of course I need some decoration. This festive wreath is done quickly, doesn't shed needles, and you can create it in pretty much any color scheme you want.

Simply wrap a straw wreath (image via Create For Less) with a fairly wide velvet ribbon, affix ends of ribbon with straight pins. Then thread three Christmas ball ornaments each (image via Amazon) onto a piece of slim ribbon, fasten the ends with a knot. Arrange the groups of balls on the wreath, secure them with straight pins. Decorate with felt snowflakes or other ornaments.

For further inspiration, here's a photo of a Christmas tree from a Macy's window. Makes my wreath look rather humble...

Happenstance festive scents

2009-12-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

I had some fresh cranberries left from Thanksgiving, so I made this Cranberry Orange Marmalade recipe to get rid of them.

I altered the recipe a little bit and used just some orange zest, not the the entire peel. It came out nicely bittersweet, and goes great with blue cheese.

The smell in the house was lovely while it simmered on the stove top, so instead of tossing the orange peel, I set it out with some cloves and star anise. Much simpler than the old clove-spiked orange.

Leave room for milk

2009-12-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

For years now I held on to a Starbucks paper bag with a pretty wintery print. Inspired by tulibri's paper bag books back then, I had planned to recycle it into a book some day. The day has come...

The spine and corners are made from off-white book cloth, and I found a red paper for the endpapers that matched the colors on the cover.

For the textblock I printed dotted blue lines onto white paper, somewhat resembling snowflakes. I feel like having a Caramel Macchiato now...