This week, it's been a year since my grandfather died. I'm still in a bizarre state of denial over it. I was there his last week, I saw him and I know he's gone, but for some reason I don't feel like he's gone. Every time I see a manila envelope in the mailbox, my pulse sorta quickens.
My mom and I were recently remembering the consistent stream of letters he would write. I've been truly horrible at keeping up correspondence in the past few months and have been bent over the old typewriter as of late, trying to start up again. Make my grandpa proud.
I think this photo of the Emerson gang was taken in the late 1930s. 1939? Grandpa Bill is in the front next to his mother, Helen, who looks stunning.
My most cherished grandpa thing is his old pocket knife. It still has some antique crumbs of cheese from a long ago picnic inside. Sort of charming in a way, but I must resist the urge to become sentimental about other folk's dirt.
In classic Emerson fashion, he dremeled his address into the handle and carried it in his pocket as he trekked across the Sahara, went on archeological digs in Crete and hiked up our beloved Mt. Monadnock. It's so freakin dull I'm in constant danger of killing myself every time I try to use it. In the realm of knife fixing uping, I am a total novice. Any advice?
It's my absolute favorite time of the year! Although I have been busy in my studio lately, I couldn't let Autumn pass me by in all it's glory, showing off her colors before they all blew away.........
On our blink and you'll miss it visit to Cambridge last week, the design*sponge ladies and myself stopped into a wonky antiques mall. 5 stories of odd and random expensiveness, but I came out with a tiny lab glass beaker, so whatever, it was worth it.
It's heavy but still feels delicate and it's really small, like 2 1/2".
Boston is so funny. It damn near blizzarded, snow, sleet- all kinds of miserable. But I ate a lovely and too short early morning breakfast with Kate, got a ton of divine wallpaper (yes more!), toured two amazing old houses and memorized all the lyrics to every Lady Gaga song there is.
Um yeah, that last bit wasn't my idea. The girls in the front seat controlled the cds and now I've been schooled in what "the kids are listening to these days". That poker face song and the other one about a shorty fire burning on the dance floor. Charming. Absolutely charming.
Not a big shock by now, but I am really pretty obsessed with fruit. After all, please note the silly and mildly embarrassing name of this blog, chosen two years ago when I had no idea what a blog even was.
Last week I became the proud owner of this set of prints, given to me by a friend who knows what's what. I love birthday presents, especially 4 months after the fact.
The watercolors are from 1820 and document Thomas Jefferson's collection of fruit varieties grown in the orchards of Monticello. Kind of perfect. I mean, an apple called sheep's nose? Did your heart not just melt?
In the spirit of honesty, I feel compelled to tell you I've had a crush on Thomas Jefferson since my middle school took a trip to Monticello. Brilliant, detached and built himself an awesome house? All I could want and more.
Laugh if you must, but have you watched HBO's John Adams? Watch and ye shall see.
My mom sent me home the other day with a bag of some delicious treats she had made. My husband discovered them - loved it - then my son, he kept sneaking them off the plate and then I proceeded to "snack" on them throughout the morning and by lunch time.......well you know the what happened. I guess the saying it true that if you eat sweets before lunch/dinner it WILL ruin the meal. Oh but these treats were such a yummy meal! (ha ha ha)
And because something so good (and easy) to make shouldn't be kept to myself, I'm sharing it today! These are great for all the upcoming Holiday parties you will be hosting and attending. Enjoy!
White Chocolate Orange Crunch
1 pound white chocolate (2 boxes of Bakers' Chocolate)
1 tsp orange extract
1 cup of Rice Krispies
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Create a double boiler by putting a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the white choc. (I broke the squares in half) and the extract and let it set for a few minutes. Stir until it's smooth. (Don't overheat the white choc., or it will seize.) Remove the bowl from the pan and reserve 2 tbls. in a small bowl and tint with orange food coloring. Add the rice cereal to the large bowl and stir until combined. Pour out onto the baking sheet and spread to an even thickness. With a small spoon or fork, drizzle stripes of orange tinted choc. over the surface of the candy. Refrigerate the choc. for about an hour and then break into pieces
Note: If the orange choc. gets to firm to drizzle, stir in about 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil until smooth and loosened.
Try this with different flavored extracts, like lemon or coconut!
I thought about buying this photo from work for a few months. I kept on putting it off, because honestly, I didn't need it and didn't really even know why I wanted it to begin with.
Last week a girl peeked into the counter and asked to see it. My heart dropped down into my stomach. I stammer. What? This photo here? With the baby? Really? Oh, okay..... Let me get that out for you.... I swallow my pride and hand over the photo. I'm friendly. We chit chat about old photos. Inwardly I'm thinking get your mitts off my damn picture.
She decides it's weird for a single twenty-something to hang photos of babies in her house. I see her point but decide to disregard it completely. After she walks away, I have my wallet out in T point 2 seconds. Now I'm the proud owner of a photo I do not need.
The moral of this long winded story is twofold.
#1. If you want an antique, you need to buy it straight away or make peace with the fact that someone else could buy it first.
#2. If you disregard the above and someone else is holding something your dying to buy- DO NOT TELL THEM YOU WANT IT. End of story. Never ever say something like- oh if you don't buy that i'd like to.... It's a guaranteed death sentence. Act politely but supremely uninterested. They're either going to buy it or not and anything you say will just make matters worse.
Okay young grasshoppers, I'm tired of divulging trade secrets. Go forth to your local flea market and prosper.
Just wanted to share a few of my favorite ways I wear my Brassy Bunchy Scarves. Enjoy the short video! (scarves vary in length, design, material etc)
I also put together a slideshow of past and current product photos. They might help give you a new idea of HOW to wear or WHAT to wear with your Brassy Bunchy and/or Skinny Scarves. They can be worn casual, dressy, with a jacket, blouse, sweater....you name it!
now getting to my FAVORITE part - YOU! I love seeing how you wear them!
Patty Young sent me a snapshot of her wearing a Cream Brassy Bunchy Scarf. Looks great Patty! Thank you!
and here is Traci of Hip Fabric sporting one of my Skinny Scarves. (photo courtesy of Patty Young) I love how it looks on you! Great choice Traci!
Anna of Sweet Dreams Designs sent me this one. You look so chic Anna and I love your skirt too!
Mary of Confessions of a Craft Addict spotted a Black Brassy Bunchy Scarf during her trip to Quilt Market this Month. I think it's adorned around the neck of one of the Sweet Funky Vintage girls.
and then there is me again! LOL. I wore this one out on a lunch date I had this week.
I hope you enjoyed the photos and have some new ideas of how to wear scarves! My Brassy Bunchy Scarves will be restocked on Nov. 3rd along with some fun Holiday items, more aprons, etc.
Sign up for my mailing list to receive a reminder email if you'd like.......
**if you have a photo of you wearing your Brassy Apple - Brassy Bunchy or Skinny Scarf - please send it my way! I'd love to see it and possibly share it!**
Remember the great plate destruction of 2009? Yes. I'm still finding shards of glass all around my apartment.
About 3 weeks ago, a mini miracle happened. I came home from a miserably long day at work to find a package at my apartment door. From a reader. And not just any reader, but an awesome, handsome, charming and funny boy. Cue shrieking 3rd grade girls!
Okay, okay. So it's not like that, but whatever, HE SENT ME IRONSTONE PLATES. And I love them, and him, forever and ever. After some internet sleuthing, I've found out that they're the tea leaf pattern by Powell & Bishop ca. 1867-1878. Pretty and simple, with a little faded gold clover leaf in the center.
Now I have no excuse to continue eating like genghis khan sans plate.
This whole post begs the question- How thoughtful can one human be? Seriously? Nick is amazing, go see for yourself. He sent me plates when I had none.
Photography. It's one of my favorite hobbies. Although still an amateur at it, I enjoy stepping behind the lens a capturing the things I love, the things that capture my attention, the world through my lens........It's a creative process I truly enjoy.
My family went on a quick weekend trip a few weeks back and along the way we stopped to visit my Husbands grandmother. She is a very accomplished seamstress and loves making quilts. All the grandkids receive a gorgeous quilt from her when they get married and then all the babies that are born receive a baby quilt from her too. Keepsakes for sure! She has quilts hanging on her walls, quilted designs on her couch pillows and a glass front cabinet which modestly holds her ribbons from county fairs.
She is one talented lady in more ways than I can count. After sitting in the car for a few hours I was "itchin" to break out my camera at her house and capture a few shots/moments. She allowed me into her sewing room, showed me her latest projects, her stacks of finished quilts and laughed about her dressers and shelves FULL of material. A woman after my own heart........
Enjoy the memories, colors and moments captured in her sewing studio seen through my lens.........
Craft up a fun t-shirt for your little "ghoul" or "goblin" this Halloween season! It's easy to create your own Halloween fun this year by using a new tshirt or upcycling an older one!
Skeleton ribcage w/ Heart Applique:
materials:
Ribcage Appliques (copy/print from below)
2 Heart Appliques (copy/print from below)
Tshirt
White fabric
Red fabric
coordinating thread
Heat n' Bond or similar product
Scissors
Iron
Pencil
Click on the applique templates below, right click copy and then paste into WORD or save. You can resize (shrink or enlarge) to fit your shirt the best.
Print out your applique templates and cut out.
Take your white and red fabrics and apply some Heat n' bond with an iron according the package directions. Cut a piece large enough for your applique pieces.
Choose a heart to use and trace onto the heat n' bond. Do the same with the ribcage. Cut out shapes.
Peel the paper back off of the fabric and flip over your shapes. Position your applique pieces onto your shirt to find the placement you like. Once they are in position, take off the ribcage and iron the heart onto the shirt according to package directions.
Sew the heart onto the shirt using a straight stitch, zig zag, satin stitch or whatever decorative or simple stitch you like.
Replace the ribcage and iron onto the shirt. Sew it on following the same instructions as above.
and you are DONE!
Extra tips and ideas:
Create it in various sizes - think baby onesies up to adult!
Add some extra up "ghoulish" elements like worms, snakes, other organs, etc.......
Use the applique template with other materials such as paper
It's not just for t-shirts! Get creative!
If you craft up some Halloween items from this tutorial, upload and share your photos in the Brassy Apply Flickr group!
This whole past week I've been resolutely pretending that I haven't been wallpapering my bathroom. What if it turned out horribly? I'd have to hang my head in internet shame. What if i decided I hated the 1940s paper? Then I'd feel all judged. What if I couldn't get a decent picture because there's no natural light? What if no one wants to sit next to me at lunch time? Or play with me at recess? or sign my yearbook?
Whatever. Here it is. And i like it. So there.
Okay, so maybe it's more girly then I bargained for but at least I live alone and am not inflicting its awesome grandma-ness on any boys. And this photo is awful. My cabinet door is open in the kitchen and I need to unplug the power drill. I'm only showing this to you because we're friends. Okay? Okay.
I am anxious to help all those who have wanted to purchase a Brassy Bunchy Scarf but have been unable to because there has been such a demand and they keep selling out very quickly.
I will be restocking my shop on November 3rd and debuting Holiday items, new aprons, DIY kits, Brassy Bunchy Scarves and more.
BUT if you would like to guarantee that you get the scarf you want, the color you want and the quantity you want - you can PRE-order NOW! yippee!!! All pre-orders will ship out on November 3rd. PLEASE read all the details in the product description and ask questions before ordering if you have any.
and onto some fun details.......There are 4 options of colors when you pre-order and I am also offering a fun Holiday option - Candy Cane- for Women and Girls!
Pre-orders will close this Sunday Oct 18th.
They make great gifts for family, teachers, friends, secret santa, gift exchanges, Tweens/Teens and more!
