circa 1964

We are in the dying days of January and I know we are through talking about Christmas but I received an email last night that brought me back, so forgive this short digression. At the Queen West Art Crawl back in August or September (an event I highly recommend if you're interested in purchasing or viewing undiscovered and still affordable art) we met James Durant, a local photographer and artist. We were really taken with his work, which involves the manipulation of old family photos using wax, paint and power tools before mounting the enlarged images on wood and sealing with resin. I filed his card under G for gift and reconnected with him on the sly in November when I commissioned this piece for my husband. The term "commission" sounds all pretentious and puffed up and I hesitate to use it. I am not Peggy Guggenheim and I do not have 38 Shih Tzus buried in my backyard, nor do I spend my evenings at gallery openings sipping Champagne and smoking Gauloises. But for lack of a better word, I sent James a photograph of my husband's father circa 1964 and James made this for us. Even my father-in-law likes it. (Benny is the handsome devil in the dark suit.)

All of which is a long preamble to the note I received last night from James announcing two good things: 1) he finally has a website so the world can see his work and 2) he is having an exhibition at Engine Gallery this Thursday. There could very well be Champagne and maybe even a Gauloises-smoking arts patron or two.

of clandestine cauliflower and furtive yams

The stealth vegetable regime continues. This new program is for the entire family's benefit. We are not vegetable people by nature. Between my Anglo heritage (canned peas, canned mushrooms, potatoes from a box) and my husband's Austro-Italian background (rigatoni, penne, penne rigate, rotini, farfalle - all pasta is not the same I've learned - and schnitzel) I don't think our kids have a green-loving gene in them. A predisposition I hope to change this year.

I am embracing Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook with open arms. If you're not familiar with her book, every recipe uses vegetable purees in sneaky, undetectable-by-the-human-kid ways. A spoon of squash in mac 'n cheese. Zucchini in the banana bread. That sort of thing. Tonight it was turkey burgers - the turkey part being a wily turn in and of itself around here - mixed with a glop of fresh cauliflower puree and a scoop of tofu. I really don't like tofu and yet I routinely buy it only to toss it out when it makes the fridge smell bad. I am determined to figure out how to work with it. Now tofu isn't even on the ingredient list of this particular recipe, it was an improvisation since I was feeling so very healthy and, at the same time, a little bit bad about tossing out yet another unopened container of the stuff. Tofu aside I followed the recipe to the letter. It called for:

lean ground turkey
cauliflower puree
unseasoned breadcrumbs
soy sauce
crushed garlic
milk
black pepper

I made micro-mini burgers for Stella thinking the novelty would distract her from the new flavours. She wolfed down the first one but got wise by the second and had to be bribed with the promise of chocolate pudding for dessert, which, I assure you, is not a technique I suggest or would normally employ. I just really wanted a success after steaming and pureeing all that cauliflower. Henry, however, dug in his heels from the first bite. No. Way. I'm surprised, considering he ate crayons for lunch. My take is that it's a good recipe in need of a bit of tinkering to suit us better. Here's what I would change next time: cut the soy sauce and garlic by half, or use the more familiar flavours of barbeque sauce or ketchup. The funny part is no one noticed the cauliflower. I declare a partial success.

sunday morning

Waking up in a crowded but cozy bed.

These are the first pictures taken with my new camera, an EOS Rebel DSLR. A birthday gift from my people. Yay.

a clutch

"No kisses please. Only stickers. Because I am a robot."

I don't know what it means either, but that kid does make me laugh.

Two sewing books arrived on my doorstep this week: Amy Karol's, which you see here, and Amy Butler's which is also excellent but in a different way. I suggest both, as does amazon.ca, and if you're looking to spend $39 to get the free shipping then I also give Jessica Seinfeld's stealth vegetable cookbook a nod. The french toast with a dollop of sweet potato puree went over without a hitch this morning. I feel triumphant.

Back to sewing. A dear, wacky friend who happens to share my birthday is throwing a proper birthday bash tomorrow night. Guitar Hero has been mentioned. A keg might be involved. Maybe spin the bottle. I really couldn't say. Her parties are always a little off-kilter and always fun. I made this slouchy clutch to hold her gift. I love using beautiful fabric for wrapping. It's like a little gift in itself, don't you think? I followed the pattern for the Artsy Pouch, which happens to be the cover project, but I completely botched the lining part and had to improvise a folded over cuff to get it finished. I'm still happy with it. I liked the suggestion of cotton flannel lining to give it a nice poofy feel and bit of body. I also scaled the pattern up slightly, and ended up using about two quarter yards of fabric. A fabbo project for $8 and an hour's work I'd say.

I'm shuffling off to Buffalo for the day. Happy weekend friends.

a piece of quiet

By accident not by design, which somehow makes it all the better, I am alone in the house this afternoon. Even better, there is nothing I have to do. There's the laundry of course - there is always the laundry - but having had the gift of nothingness dropped in my lap I don't intend to waste it with busywork. I'm enjoying the quiet. No music. No television. Just the wind at the window and a pipe in the wall making a rhythmic popping sound that on any other day would have gone unnoticed. I was reminded to tell you about this new photo blog I'm enjoying: the noticing project. It inspired me to walk through this quiet house, not looking for things to do, just looking. This odd little diorama caught my eye. That power ranger better watch out.


p.s.
Thank you to those who left comments and those who registered their crib preference - very helpful! I will keep you posted as I head into round two of the buying spree next week at the annual gift show.

and the winner is...

Since you were all so lovely in your comments, I have whipped up a few extra tissue holders and will send one to Josiane, Rose, Lisa and Angelique. Send me your mailing address nicole{at}honey-bunch.com and I'll pop one in the mail for you. Thanks for playing along.

Meanwhile, in another part of the world, good things are starting to happen over at the shop. Nearly five months after I placed the order, I now have a working telephone. Beautiful window vinyls arrived yesterday too. Beautiful but not quite perfect: the swoopy grassy part of the logo was printed in a heinous apple green and has to be redone to match the rest of the logo. But it was a very good day all the same.

Can I ask you something? You may have noticed the little poll over to your right. I'd love to know what you think. I spent a couple of days at a trade show this week trolling through acres of furniture. Most of it of The Brick and Leons variety but a few things I could get excited about. When it comes to crib styles I'm stumped. Do you go for a traditional drop-side crib, a heftier convertible model or one of the new-fangled Oeuf-style cribs? I'd really love to know so I can get it right for the store. We bought a $300 basic drop-side number back in 2002 when there weren't so many options. I'd probably go sleeker now, but not sure I'd pay $1000+ for a crib. What do you like?

compulsive? moi?

Sometimes I see the way my husband looks at me. I can't help myself. I could not stop making these things. I've tried three different tissue holder tutorials but keep going back to the original five-minute pattern. If you're going to, like, start an Etsy business selling tissue holders, then this technique is not polished enough (what with the unfinished inside seams and all) but for my purposes it is perfection. I have two extra tissue holders, which means it's giveaway time. A.K.A. a blatant shill for comments. Say hello (but not anonymously. I can't email you back if you comment anonymously.) if you'd like one.

just ducky

There's not much going on over here that would make for an interesting post, I'm afraid. Not that things aren't happening, mind you, but it's all kind of duck-like with lots of intrigue below the surface and calm waters above. Interesting is not an adjective I'd apply to my *situation* with Bell Canada, but if you're wondering, as Stella does, what it is I do all day, because you know, I don't actually work anymore so there is no good reason why we can't go see the Water Horse movie in the middle of the afternoon, you can see from my new Bell Canada blog, I've been spending a fair amount of time over at the someday-I'll-be-a-real-shop shop dealing with seriously uninteresting things. And not working.

So while I have nothing going on, I thought I'd introduce two bloggers who do. First up: Marta who makes beautiful journals and cards, and through Marta, I made the acquaintance of Melissa who, in addition to making beautiful crafty things and taking gorgeous photos of her kids, lives in Buffalo. I have no idea why that pleases me so but it does. Check these gals out. You'll be glad you did.

And with thanks to Melissa for the inspiration, there will be no more wadded balls of damp, possibly used (likely used) Kleenex in my coat pockets. Nosiree. I've gone upscale with one of those fancy-type tissue holders. Five minutes! Check the tutorial over here. I'm making a batch of these this afternoon and sending them to everyone we made sick over Christmas. This one is for my poor sis, who has yet to recover from whatever mondo bug was crawling around our house. Sorry A.

fresh start

September 6, 2007




January 6, 2008


Five four weeks away...

I haven't posted much about the new shop, or my online shop for that matter. When I started this blog two years ago I had no idea what it was supposed to be about, and frankly, I still don't know. Being a literal person I need things to have a purpose. A raison d'etre. This blog is probably the only thing in my life that just exists without explanation. It's the equivalent of a junk drawer, I suppose. A place where I can drop thoughts instead of twist ties and "good" used tin foil. But I find myself wanting to talk more about my shop, about the opening and about the stuff that I find and the people I meet along the way. But I don't want to do it here because whatever this blog is, it's not about selling myself or my stuff. So I've started a new blog. It's a place where I can talk about things happening at the store, new items and the people who make them. I'll still blog over here, of course, everyone needs a junk drawer.


[broken link fixed - thanks for the tip]

and that's a wrap folks

The duty bound older cousin. It isn't easy being nearly nine in a room full of five year olds.

A balloon sword fight, a Bingo boycott, a collapsed cake and a guest in a snit over another guest's refusal to swap prizes (the Nemo lip balm for the Princess chapstick) were not part of the official party plan. But we soldiered on. The pirate clown and her live bunny were a hit. And the decorations sure were pretty. Pat. Pat.





Clementines and fresh berries were wishful thinking. Out of camera range are the heaping bowls of Ruffles and Cheetos that fueled the afternoon.

This is why I make cupcakes. Every birthday cake - truly, every single one - I have attempted has ended in catastrophe. I can't blame Martha's recipe or my crappy oven on this particular disaster. Quite simply, up until the moment I poured the batter I had two cake pans. I know I had two cake pans. But I could only find one at the crucial moment, and so the minute the cake was done I shook it out of the pan so I could bake the other layer. Don't do that. Out of eggs and out of time I actually thought I could patch this thing together with icing. Don't do that either. People might eat it but they'll also talk about you.

it's a birthday

Did it fly by? Nah. But I am surprised to find myself living with a five year old who corrects my grammar, critiques my cooking and occasionally offers a spectacularly honest compliment like "mommy your arms are soft like bread." Though I prefer "I love you as much as the sky loves the clouds."

4 years and 364 days ago I was making rental arrangements for a villa in Umbria, never once contemplating that taking an infant to Italy might be beyond my capabilities as a new parent. It wasn't. Yet five years later I wouldn't have the nerve. That's the beautiful thing about this whole adventure: you just never know. Happy birthday my love.

well hello 2008

Good-bye Christmas tree. We don't mess around here. Always a little sad packing away the baubles for some reason, but today I'm grateful to reclaim that corner in the living room, and grateful to have the armchair out of the bedroom (where I hip checked it daily) and back in its rightful place. The older I get, the lower my tolerance for chaos becomes. I enjoy putting things right. I'm not normally one for January resolutions, but who doesn't like the feeling of a fresh start? It does sort of get a person thinking.

Next up: a birthday party for my little girl who is turning five tomorrow. Last year's party, a real barn burner, will go down in the family history books (never again will I attempt to open gifts with 12 kids after they've scarfed cake and ice cream) but this year's fete will be a simpler affair with 8 friends and an afternoon of bingo. We started making paper garlands the other day. After a month of sparkly things, it's nice to see cheerful colours again.