little old hat

I've moved

2011-12-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not here anymore, but I will be here sometimes.

Ginger fried rice

2010-04-03T17:06:00.001-06:00

Kicking the weekend off right with this yummy rice. You really must try, can't tell you enough how good it is.

Hope everyone has a good Easter weekend.

2010-03-31T08:48:00.002-06:00

As you can see the weather has been a bit iffy these past few days. Not much venturing into the woods, so we have resorted to inside activities, like egg dyeing. We tried to marbleize our eggs but we were unsuccessful. Probably because we used brown eggs instead of white, but I am happy with the richness the brown eggs provided. I think we will try again with white eggs to see if it works better. Also, if you try this technique use a light colored dye as a base and a darker for the marble affect.

And we've also been having lots of yummy meals to supplement the cruddy weather. Who would've thought that eggless quiche could be so good.

Canisters

2010-03-26T10:18:00.000-06:00

If you haven't been to Target yet to check out the Liberty of London collection, you should go (run) because I'm sure supplies are very limited. I was pleasantly surprised to find these cuties. Love the small one for my coffee grounds.

Sunshine

2010-03-22T08:46:00.002-06:00

My favorite images of this weekend. The weather has been beautiful here lately, it's so nice to get out and hike around. Hopefully it continues to stay that way. And I had to include my kitties, must be rough being them.

Don't forget to wear this color today

2010-03-17T10:04:00.002-06:00

Sleeveless blouse, 1950's green skirt

Cinnamon Rolls

2010-03-16T11:41:00.001-06:00

My husband has a serious sweet tooth, so this results in him making lots of yummy desserts. He made these for us last night, a classic favorite. Makes approximately 14-16 cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients for cinnamon rolls:

put these ingredients in small bowl and let rise (about 10 min.)-

-a smidgen under a 1/2 cup warm water

-1 T. yeast

-2 tsp. sugar

in separate bowl mix-

-1/4 cup oil

-1/4 cup sugar

-2 eggs

-1 tsps. salt

-1/2 cup water

-3 cups flour

Add first bowl (with yeast) to mixture after third cup of flour. Knead in last two cups of flour by hand. Let raise one hour. Separate raised dough into two balls. Roll them out into rectangles, generously cover flattened dough in cinnamon and sugar. Bradin also spread Nutella on part of the dough (which was very tasty). Starting from a corner tightly roll the dough into a log. Then cut evenly sized pieces and place on greased baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 425 and bake for 7 min. or until golden brown. And lastly, top with frosting.

Frosting ingredients:
-2 to 3 T. butter
-1 cup powdered sugar
-splash of vanilla
add milk a couple drops at a time until it's the consistency desired.

It's about that time

2010-03-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Right now I have a slight obsession with clocks. I would hang any of these in my house, or perhaps all....

Colonial wall clock
This store is so great, I also want one of their mirrors and their fancy chandeliers.

Love this bird and branches clock, I like the cuckoo clock as well.

Embroidered woodgrain clock
This one could be cute too.

Mustache clock

Crest wall clock
I also want one of her lampshades.

Feathered Headband Tutorial

2010-03-04T05:54:00.014-07:00

The great thing about this project was, I had all of the materials lying around the house, and from start to finish it only took about an hour.

Material used:
-scrap leather (mine was 15x1 in.)
-thick elastic (at least 7-8 in depending on head size)
-a variety of feathers
-scrap felt (cut them into tear drop shapes)
-glue (I picked this up at my local craft store)

Cut your scrap leather to the size you would like (again, mine was 15x1 inches), then cut two tear-dropped shapes out of felt to sandwich between leather.

Line the two felt pieces up in between the leather and sew them together very close to the edge. (My felt pieces were closer to the bottom of the leather so my feathers would be more off-center.) Then take one end of elastic and sew it to the other edge of leather. Before you sew the other end of elastic measure on your head to see how tight you want the headband to be. After you have the desired length, sew other end to leather.

Before you glue on the feathers lay them out to get a general idea on how you want them placed.

Place glue on spine of feather and fill up the felt until you have desired fullness. The glue does dry very stiff so make sure you are not getting too much glue on the feathers.

To cover the ends of feathers cut out smaller tear-dropped shape, then sew it to the headband.

Here is the finished product, very easy and a fun accessory to add to your wardrobe.

Clever, clever

2010-03-01T08:04:00.003-07:00

Love this neat trick for covering up dings. Who knew that a simple walnut would do this? I have lots of vintage furniture that could use this technique.

via here

Who says pink can't be cute?

2010-02-23T07:29:00.003-07:00

Nubby knit sweater, sailor jeans

Yellow necklace, 1930's rust leather shoes

1950's lace swing dress

Winter wonderland pumps

Hand embroidered blouse, coral vest

1960's wool skirt

1970's slingback

"What's done is done"

2010-02-21T06:41:00.005-07:00

This is my favorite dress so far.

I wore it to a play my brother-in-law was in.

2010-02-19T19:23:00.003-07:00

We were visiting family this past week. And at my grandma's house one of our family traditions is mochi making. Yummy, gooey mochi.

2010-02-13T07:40:00.019-07:00

Celebrating Valentine's Day with company this weekend: film festival today, fancy dinner tonight, cross-country skiing tomorrow (first time) - sounds like a good way to spend a weekend.

Last year I was much more motivated, maybe if the urge strikes we can have these for dessert.

Stencils

2010-02-07T18:48:00.003-07:00

These cute spray painted plates would make great gifts, or a nice addition to your wall.

from {here}

-sidenote- Just saw this movie and it's definitely worth a watch.

Date night

2010-02-06T06:52:00.005-07:00

Perhaps a Valentine's dinner date......

Cashmere sweater, floral applique skirt, red cutout pumps

Nordic men's sweater, black jeans, mens's ankle boots

Black cardigan, 1950's red dress, dotted bow pumps

Lacoste men's sweater vest, men's long sleeved dress shirt, plaid men's pants, foreste shoes

Pencil Skirt

2010-02-02T16:28:00.004-07:00

Just finished this simple skirt made from Liberty of London fabric.

You can find a similar pattern here.

Thistle Leaf

2010-01-27T09:52:00.004-07:00

Our poor bed suffered from needing a serious makeover. The quilt that was on there I made a few years back and it had been patched up so many times; it was finally ready for retirement. Right now I just don't have the energy to make another quilt so I just opted for the easy way out, a duvet cover.

The design is a giant pinwheel pattern, and for one of the contrasting fabrics I used Denise Schmidt's latest fabric, thistle leaf. I got the idea from one of my favorite craft books, Last-Minute Patchwork, a book I go back to often for inspiration.

Sunday love

2010-01-24T13:52:00.004-07:00

I look forward to Sunday every week. Since most Saturday's I'm working, Sunday is my weekend.

This morning we enjoyed these very fluffy flapjacks, and later we will finally see this movie (um...it just barely made it to our theater).

If only....

2010-01-17T07:34:00.002-07:00

this coat came in my size, and I could afford it.

This makes me want to try my hand at coat making. I found this pattern awhile back and keep coming back to it. This one would be cute in a light weight wool.

Anyone have any tips on coat making?

Seeing Dots

2010-01-12T12:25:00.002-07:00

1940's belted dress

Suede oxfords

1960's empire waist dress

Oxblood boots

1960's blouse, sweater vest

1940's cigarette pants

Leather loafers

1910 tiered gown

Palest pink pumps

Waterslide Decal Tutorial

2010-01-05T07:04:00.003-07:00

For Christmas this year we decided to give everyone custom made mugs. The inspiration for the monograms came from here, and the bird is a print I made, scanned then photo shopped. We are so happy with the way they turned out and hope everyone uses/loves them.

Also, one more thing, these mugs are NOT dishwasher safe. So keep this in mind when making them, trust me we tried and the decal melted right off.

Now for the tutorial...enjoy!

Supplies you will need for this project:

-Shallow dish of some sorts for warm water
-Soft sponges (fixative came with these)
-Inkjet water decals and Fixative
-Sharp scissors
-Printer
-Mugs

Step One:
Print off decals on waterslide paper, and let ink dry for 30 minuets. I got the monogram fonts from here.

Step Two:
Use fixative to "set" ink on water slide paper. The fixative smells very strong so make sure you are in a well ventilated area. Pour fixative on image in puddle, then very, very gently spread fixative around until the image is completely covered (try not to use any pressure when spreading the fixative). Pick up paper and check in light to make sure the image is thoroughly covered. You do want a fairly thick coat of fixative so don't be shy. Once all of your images have fixative on them, let it dry for 8 hrs., yes I know this is a long time so it does take some planning.

Step Three:
After the decals dry for 8 hrs. use sharp scissors to cut close to the image.

Step Four:

Immerse decal in warm water, making sure it is completely submerged. Let it sit in water until the decal starts to separate from the paper (about 1 min.). You can check by sliding the decal and paper between your fingers to see if it is moving away from the paper. But be sure to keep image on paper until you are ready to put it on your mug.

Step Five:

Before you put the image on the mug choose where you want to place the image and slightly wet mug with fingers. This enables you to move the image around once it's on the mug.

To place decal on mug, hold one end of decal and slowly pull paper from decal. The paper and decal will separate leaving you with only the decal. Once the decal is on the mug you can slide it around until it's where you would like it. Smooth out air bubbles with finger. A good trick is to wait a few minutes (not any longer) until some of the water is evaporated then smooth the rest of the air bubbles out.

I then repeated steps 3-5 for monogram.

After the decals have dried (I waited 24 hrs.) you can drink from and enjoy your new customized mug. Hope you enjoy this little project and once you get the hang of the waterslide decals it's very easy.

Welcome 2010, and hello cowl neck dress

2010-01-01T10:31:00.002-07:00

I'm in love with my new serger. Now that I finally have one I feel like I can make better clothes.

With that said this dress is from my new favorite sewing book Twinkle Sews, it comes with a CD full of patterns that can be printed out from your computer. It does take time, paper and tape to piece together but it is well worth it. All the patterns look fairly simple and the book is a real inspiration. I couldn't believe how easy this dress was to make. It only took a few hours once I got it all cut out. And the fit is really cute and drapey. I will be making many more clothes from this book.

Impala

2009-12-30T07:51:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas to me! One of my dad's hobbies is restoring old bicycles, so this is his latest venture. A 1964 Impala, all original parts except the seat (and basket of course). He even made it into a 3-speed so I can keep up with my husband. Even more reason to want warm weather.

2009-12-23T08:17:00.005-07:00

Soon we will be able to enjoy the company of our families.

Happy Holidays!

And welcome to the world baby Olive!

Baby Olive

2009-12-15T05:42:00.002-07:00

This is the first baby outfit I have made and I am especially in love with the baby bloomers.

Found this pattern in Little Stitches.

Holiday Party Attire

2009-12-06T08:03:00.002-07:00

Brocade coat, bronze dress

Beaded clutch

Nubuck pumps

Cropped wool coat, sequined detailed dress

Mini-beaded clutch

Red velvet pumps

Asymmetrical buttoned coat, striped dress

Gold-beaded clutch

Ribboned pumps

Colette

2009-12-02T08:20:00.003-07:00

Really, could these sewing patterns be any cuter? She has many other darling styles to choose from too.

I just got a brand new serger (early x-mas present from my sweetest grandma) and this would be the prefect project to try it out on.

via here

Well, hello

2009-11-29T19:41:00.003-07:00

As you may (or may not) have noticed I haven't been into blogging lately. I'm hoping I can start it back up again, I do want to share some things I have been up to.

We've been traveling a bit these last few weeks and luckily got to experience this beautiful sunrise.

2009-10-31T08:17:00.002-06:00

via here

Shane Waltener's dollies stretched in a web-like manner. Beautifully spooky.

Happy Halloween.

Where did fall go?

2009-10-14T08:51:00.002-06:00

I really can't believe the weather here lately. It has just skipped fall (my favorite season) and gone straight to winter. It has made me rethink moving to warmer climates.

So because of this weather Bradin and I have been trying to think of things to do inside. We had quite the busy weekend between carving pumpkins (I know a little early) and making caramel apples (thanks for the idea, Jeff). I haven't carved a pumpkin or made caramel apples since who knows when. Needless to say we had a good time with it all. And another bonus was the wonderful pumpkin seeds we roasted and can't stop eating.

I really hope things start to warm up, the trees are in shock and the leaves have just dropped, leaving me with a colorless fall.

Just another day at the office

2009-10-12T08:40:00.002-06:00

Lace collared blouse, pleated skirt, woven oxford shoes

Peter pan collar blouse, tweed skirt, bow olive heels

Hatch that zombie if you can

2009-10-06T11:18:00.003-06:00

With much prodding from my husband, I have made this zombie purse for Halloween. I can't take credit for the print this time, it is Bradin's creation, I am just the purse maker this time around. So I guess this is our first collaborative effort. The cross-hatched vintage fabric its printed on is one of my favorites. Any time I see fabric that resembles it I have to add it to my collection.

Plus, it is about time I add something to the etsy store, stock is getting a little low.

Japanese craft book inspiration

2009-10-02T07:56:00.002-06:00

I am a collector of these books.

Which prompted me to make this little purse.

80 years young

2009-09-30T08:04:00.002-06:00

We had a wonderful time visiting family this weekend. Grandma was beautiful, and she looks and acts like she just turned 60. So glad our family could get together to celebrate her birthday.

And while we were there my dad took me to some garage sales and I found the two beauties below. Unbelievably, the 8mm video camera still has film in it. I can't wait to use it. Love old videos that look like this.

It's a ukulele miracle

2009-09-20T14:28:00.002-06:00

For Christmas I got Bradin a ukulele kit, partially because normal ones are sort of expensive and I thought it would be a fun project to do. Well, knowing my husband I should have figured it would take awhile, so now, let's see, almost 10 months later, here it finally is. But in his defense it was rather complicated, the instructions were in broken English and all the parts did take awhile to dry, 10 months....not so sure.

So it's pretty exciting because now he can teach me this song, we just need a backup sax player....any takers? And I also like this song, I just think her voice is cute and I do love a good beard.

Printed Birthday Burlap Banner Tutorial

2009-09-13T16:25:00.004-06:00

We are throwing a surprise 80th birthday party for my grandma. I made a birthday banner that I printed on burlap, and wanted to share how to make one yourself.
Supplies for banner: Burlap, contrasting thread, rotary cutter, pretty twine or ribbon to string banner on, and triangular pattern for banner. I just used a piece of cardboard so I could have a stable pattern that I wouldn't cut into with the rotary.
Supplies for printing on banner: Textile ink (craft store), stencil brush, alphabet stencils. I happened to get my stencils on clearance at Joann (89 c.). But you can always find some at your local craft store.
I cut out all of the triangles then edge-stitched with contrasting thread.
Now for the printing. I have a small piece of Plexiglas that I like to put my ink on, but any flat slick surface will work. Hold stencil tight so it won't slip, then dab the ink with stencil brush, not too thick so there won't be any bleeding.
Once you have the desired saturation of print gently lift stencil and, voila, you are on your way to a printed banner. After ink is completely dry, heat set with iron. Be sure to follow directions on back of ink bottle for setting the ink.
I used this twine to string my banner on. I folded top of banner and pressed, then sewed the twine in between burlap.
My finished banner says "that's right it's yer birthday!" Now go out there and make someone you know a special banner.

Is that wedding bells I hear?

2009-09-05T07:33:00.002-06:00

In honer of a very exciting engagement I wanted to feature some vintage wedding dresses. I tell you, looking through all the dresses makes me want to get married again. Bradin...renew our vows?1950's dress

Ivory eyelet couture dress, Georgette gown

1960's strapless dress, 1920's flapper wedding dress

Vintage inspired dress - I couldn't resist. Even though this is not actual vintage, it is so beautiful.

We are so excited for you Jeff and Lindsay, congrats!

Fresh

2009-09-02T08:33:00.002-06:00

We enjoyed this lovely dish, via my favorite food blog. If you haven't checked it out yet, I would head on over. She uses seasonal fruits and veggies with unique ingredients.

BPA!

2009-08-30T15:01:00.000-06:00

I know everyone is familiar with Sigg water bottles, supposedly our savior of bpa free products. But a recent confession has reveled that any water bottle pre 2008 is leaching bpa. Very disappointing news, and of course all of ours are pre 2008.....figures.

The way you looked tonight

2009-08-28T08:22:00.003-06:00

I'm going to start a section for great vintage outfits. I mean who doesn't like a good find?
Blue dress, white shoes.

Tweed dress, floral necklace, turquoise shoes.

Sheer shirt, red skirt, slingback.

Done and done

2009-08-25T08:54:00.003-06:00

Finally! This bag has been quite the ordeal. The idea came from Little Stitches, but the pattern was huge, so I proceeded to downsize it once.....still too big....twice.....really just too big, and finally after three times of picking it apart here it is. So, note to self, if you decide to make this diaper bag, probably want to make it smaller...much.

But the bag is not for me, it's for a friend whose baby is coming sooner than I can believe. I hope it's the perfect size to fit little Aubrey's stuff.

Potato Cheese Perogies

2009-08-22T08:13:00.002-06:00

My husband makes the best perogies. Had to share this wonderful recipe.

Filled with:
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tbs of lemon juice
dash of pepper

Dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
4 tbsp margarine

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain, then combine lemon juice, cheese, mustard, dill, and pepper. Mix well until potatoes are mashed.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, nutmeg, and eggs. Cut the margarine into the flour mixture until well blended. Make sure dough is smooth if not add a little water. Divide the dough evenly into 16 balls. Roll out each ball into a 3-inch circle and put 1 1/2 tbsp of potato mixture in center. Fold dough over and press edges down with fork.

To cook them you can either fry in oil, or boil in water for 5 min or until they float to top. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

So good!

Current aFair

2009-08-12T21:11:00.002-06:00

Out of the three years we have lived here not once have we been to the state fair. So, since this could be the last year spent in Missoula we had to check it out.

I'm not even going to mention the interesting foods we tried.

details, details

2009-08-06T10:21:00.003-06:00

Another dress, but not for me, for a friend who just graduated from college. I did add a little flowery detail. Next time I will go for the whole collar.

ghost town

2009-08-04T08:11:00.002-06:00

We recently visited Garnet Ghost Town, once a thriving mining town of a 1,000 people.

People slowly started leaving after the gold rush.
The remaining people left during World War I, and after a devastating fire that took many of the homes.
The hotel was the most persevered part of the town, most of the homes seemed to be buried and some suffered fire damage. There was an eerie undertone left from the people fleeing the town. But we took interest in seeing what was left and the history of the townspeople.

Summer Dress

2009-07-31T08:12:00.002-06:00

Recently I have been very interested in sewing clothes again, I have only dabbled in clothes making but have always wanted to pursue it more. Because of past frustrations I have abandoned many projects.

But then I found this cute dress pattern via the Selvedge Studio, they had it in their window and it was an inspiration to get back on the clothes sewing train. This pattern was so easy, I did alter quite a bit, and found when I made it the first time it was rather large. So I sized it down and left the sleeves drapey, because I don't like things too tight around my arms (makes me feel a little claustrophobic) and I really wanted to use the ultra soft jersey fabric on the top part of the dress.

Featured on The Storque

2009-07-29T18:15:00.002-06:00

I was scrolling through the Etsy articles and to my surprise there was Branches on a Kiss Lock Frame Wallet. It's the guest curator of Ready Made Magazine, to boot. Very exciting!

Lighting with purpose....or should I say repurpose.

2009-07-29T08:04:00.002-06:00

People are so inventive with their recycled goods. Here are just a few of my favorites.
egg carton lights - bottoms of plastic bottles
umbrellas - antique wine glasses
spray cans - wine bottles

Cooling off

2009-07-23T08:17:00.002-06:00

It has been quite warm here lately and in order to keep cool we've been hanging out by the river. This is our favorite swimming hole, pretty secluded except when the rafters stop and eat their lunch. And yes, those are white sandy beaches you are looking at. In the mountains you say? Oh yes, and we love it.

Meadowlark

2009-07-16T07:31:00.002-06:00

I was asked by the Selvedge Studio to design a print for their t-shirts and such. My inspiration for this print was the Montana state bird.

Is anyone else excited to see this movie? Only in select cities, we shall if it makes it to mine....

All Ruffled Up

2009-07-10T08:33:00.002-06:00

Another wildflower print, this particular flower we spotted when we were in Glacier. From the road it looked like a giant white flower, but up close had a much different look than expected. Small clusters of petals make up the Bear Grass wildflower.

Off the subject, I watched Then She Found Me last night and loved it. It is my movie of the month, everything you could want in a movie: funny, touching, and insightful. This is a must see, add it to your queue all you Netflix people, or if not just rent.

Focaccia Pesto Sandwich

2009-07-07T20:05:00.003-06:00

In the summer I'm all about recipes that don't require heating up the oven or the stove. Sandwiches seem to be the best option for this.
I love pesto and everything else found in this sandwich, it's a fresh delight. I use pre-made pesto found at our local market. But this is an easy recipe if you are looking for something homemade.

Layered inside this focaccia sandwich is: pesto, fresh mixed greens, mozzarella balls, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and sprouts.

Happy 4th

2009-07-04T07:20:00.002-06:00

Been doing a little traveling for the fourth: seeing family, going to watch a grand firework show, and eating some yummy sno cones. I thought this sno cone was very festive.

Hope your weekend is as fun as ours.

Next year I think I will attempt these.

Potato Printing

2009-07-01T08:43:00.002-06:00

What a great idea to print on this dress. I love potato printing too, do you remember doing it with various vegetables when you were young? It's such a simple way to add some pizazz to a plain jane top or dress.
You can try it yourself, all the instructions are right over here.

Wildflower

2009-06-28T18:26:00.002-06:00

Hiking around in Glacier last weekend inspired this print. They weren't in full bloom yet, but there were enough to add splashes of color against the mountain backdrop.

Origami in clutch form

2009-06-26T18:44:00.003-06:00

Feeling very inspired by origami lately so I thought I would try my hand at it with fabric. This is the result, I also hand printed spring rain print on this little folded beauty.

Glacier

2009-06-25T07:13:00.002-06:00

Such a majestic view we had in Glacier this week. If you ever get a chance to go, wait until it's well into the summer so you can hit up the Going to the Sun road. We weren't able to travel on the road yet, but I can't complain it was still gorgeous.

Thank you Michael and Cindi.

A day for all those father's

2009-06-20T07:02:00.002-06:00

A happy day to all those dads!

I know it's not Father's Day yet, but we are getting ready to head out of town, so I won't be able to post tomorrow. Once we return from our beautiful vacation I will have many great pics to share.

For Father's Day I made this tie out of silky vintage fabric, the tutorial I followed was very easy, you should give it a try. My only advice is to make the pattern a little longer, but other than that I loved how it turned out, and was very shocked how fast it was to make.

One more thought, love....love television series and I think this one looks like it has great potential.

I love....

2009-06-14T08:16:00.002-06:00

- getting a Saturday off
- going to the market on Saturday morning
- enjoying the market with company that has come to visit

Anniversary Gift

2009-06-11T09:10:00.002-06:00

As you may have noticed in our little family our birthdays and anniversary fall very close together. So it can be a little hectic around our house for a few weeks.

I wanted to give my husband somethings special for our fourth year of marriage. I saw this embroidered note and fell in love. It's such a thoughtful gesture and I love how it looks like real paper.

So I decided to make a note of my own. My husband is a writer and to journal his thoughts he uses legal pads, so that is why this note looks like legal paper. And the words embroidered on the "paper" are part of our wedding vows.
Happy Anniversary Bradin!

Fabric Nesting Bowls

2009-06-10T09:31:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you, but I love bowls, boxes, pretty much anything to store my stuff in. I'm always looking for new ways to organize. I stumbled upon this tutorial, it's so easy and the results are fabulous.
They are reversible, making them that much more versatile. I decided to make three that nest, inspired by pottery nesting bowls that I would throw on a wheel.
After they were all done I had the thought of making them with iron-on vinyl, then you could use them for many things, ensuring the fabric to not get ruined. The vinyl is great because you can take any fabric and make your own oilcloth.

Oh No The Big 30....

2009-06-07T20:36:00.002-06:00

That's what these cupcakes say that my husband so thoughtfully made for me. And the picture is taken on my brand new tripod, also compliments of Bradin. I can't believe I'm 30, crazy....just crazy.

This makes me want to knit more

2009-06-05T00:39:00.003-06:00

via here

Beautiful urchin poufs by Christien Meindertsma, they look so soft and comfy. The photo is what really draws me in.

I also love her other project entitled Idaho. Can you believe those knitting needles?

Birthday Pie

2009-06-03T10:41:00.002-06:00

A wonderful day to you, Bradin. You are such a genuine person and I'm so happy to have you. Love you handsome man.

keylime pie

Eagle Feather

2009-06-01T07:59:00.003-06:00

Revisiting the eagle feather print, but in wallet form. I love the vintage fabric that's lining the zippered pocket and kiss lock frame, part of an old table cloth.

It's right over here, if you'd like to take a look.

Calzones

2009-05-29T08:57:00.003-06:00

Normally when given a choice between pizza and a calzone I would choose pizza. But I really wanted to mix up our menu this week. I had forgotten how much I liked calzones, and these were especially good because I could decide all the yumminess going into them.
Stuffed in my calzone: zucchini, yellow squash, yellow pepper, mushrooms, olives and onions. And of course cheese and red sauce.
We are so lucky to have good bakeries here, so I picked up some pizza dough from our local place, Le Petit.
If you don't have a good bakery with tasty dough, this recipe looks good.

Once we rolled out the dough it went fast, and from start to finish it only took about 40 min. I did cook the veggies a bit before stuffing so they would be nice and tender, and so I could add some spices. Our calzones were cooked at 400 for 15-20 min.

Tea anyone?

2009-05-28T08:55:00.002-06:00

I would love to have this chandelier in my house, made out of my favorite tea cups. It would be fun to collect all of the cups I want, like this one or even this one.

Maybe Grandma will let me raid her kitchen cupboards for some of hers.

here

Book Art

2009-05-25T08:37:00.002-06:00

Very cool cut-out's by Thomas Allen, love how he photographs them as well. Many more here to look at.

Hope everyone is having a good Memorial Day.

Shake

2009-05-22T07:07:00.002-06:00

We have replaced our usual oatmeal breakfast with this mornin' treat (this is just as healthy, right?). My husband makes them much better than I do so he has become the designated shake maker.

This is what we use:

--1 banana
--frozen peaches
--frozen raspberries } when fruit is frozen makes the shake nice and cold
--frozen strawberries
--or any fruit, really
--splash of soy milk - hubby likes orange juice too if you don't like soy
--organic yogurt of your liking

-once the market has huckleberries you can bet we'll be throwing those in the mix-

Rainy

2009-05-21T07:34:00.003-06:00

My newest addition to the store. Loving the twist turn lock, and brand new spring rain print. Come and look....come on just a little peak.

Can you believe no embroidery....I know it's a shocker.

Is that an umbrella she's holding?

2009-05-20T07:48:00.003-06:00

I've never been one to carry an umbrella, probably because I haven't lived in a rainy environment. But, if I did I would surely carry this one around.

Caverns

2009-05-18T07:33:00.002-06:00

To send our good friends off into a world of tornadoes and flat lands we wanted to do something Montanaesque with them. Our original plan was this, but unfortunately a lot of the park isn't open yet. So this is what we came up with instead. If you are ever in the neighborhood I would recommend, it was fun to mix it up a bit in our little world.

We hope you enjoyed yourself Clay and April, we really wish you would stay a little longer (at least until our time is up). Thanks for everything you guys, it's been great.

Furr

2009-05-14T17:44:00.001-06:00

Great song to accompany an artful video.
via here.

baby got booties

2009-05-13T09:01:00.001-06:00

It's amazing to me how much cuter things are when they are small.
My friend at work is having a baby, so I made her these little booties with feather print.
She isn't finding out the sex of the baby, so I had to try and make them unisex. What do you think, would you put them on your little boy or girl?
I know it's hard to read but it says "right," so there is no confusion (and I just like to write w/ my sewing machine).

Veggie Burger

2009-05-11T08:33:00.002-06:00

I love a good burger, and since barbecue season is now here I'm sharing my favorite way to make a veggie burger.

You'll need:
1-egg
1/2-onion
1/2-red pepper
3-cloves of garlic
1-can black beans
1/2-cup bread crumbs
3/4-of the can of garbanzo beans
3/4-cup green chili sauce(my favorite is this one)

--spices--
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Chop red pepper, onion, and garlic and mince in food processor. Add both cans of strained rinsed beans to onion mixture in food processor, don't mince too much. Put the freshly minced mixture in large bowl and combine remaining ingredients until thoroughly mixed. The bread crumbs help burgers stick together, so you can add more than 1/2 cup if need be.
Lightly oil pan and cook on both sides for 5-7 min, finish with your favorite cheese and you have yourself a veggie burger with a little kick.
This makes about 4-6 servings.

dedicated to you

2009-05-10T08:14:00.002-06:00

To all those ladies who are mothers, and to my mom especially, hope your day is fantastic.

It's going to be a great day I can tell already, I just looked at the weather report....68 and sunny.
Does this mean a barbecue?

Still....really?

2009-05-07T08:24:00.002-06:00

I don't mind the rain, but when it's accompanied with gloomy/cold weather, well we'll just say...boo to gloom. I swear that's what it's been like all winter here, I just looked at the calendar and last time I checked it was May. Yes, it's true, we "need the moisture" but I guess I just miss the weather in Colorado. There it's sunny all the time. Even when it's raining.

Well enough of my complaining, I guess it's just an incentive for me to start on one of the many projects on my list. Maybe, this one or this one will do.

{pic}

Digitized

2009-05-05T08:58:00.002-06:00

Brand spankin' new print on a little clutch purse.

And of course some embroidered details.

through the eye of a pinhole

2009-04-30T06:54:00.002-06:00

I really want to make this pinhole camera,

so I can take pictures like the above one.

You can download your pinhole camera here.

via here

It's not just another word

2009-04-29T07:59:00.002-06:00

Look closely at these words you see. If you can believe it they are crocheted out of cassette tape ribbons....amazing.

I first experienced Nicola Vruwink's work back in 2007 when she did an exhibition at the university here. I happened to stumble upon her art again and had to share, it's even more astounding in person.

couldn't have turned out better

2009-04-27T07:49:00.002-06:00

A successful event dedicated to Bradin and Laura. Everything turned out beautiful, the venue, food, family, friends, and of course the actual reading from Bradin and Laura.

We thought we were going to have too much food (three tables full), but there was such a good turn out we ran out of everything.
Great job Bradin, you did so well reading your story. We are all so proud of you.

Laura reading her poetry (also very nicely done).

A surprise visit from my aunt in Colorado(right).
And cheers to good friends.
Thank you so much for everyone's help, it meant the world to us the support and love we got from everyone. It all turned out wonderfully and we had such a good time with you all.

an almost Mother's Day gift

2009-04-24T07:38:00.003-06:00

It is going to be a very eventful weekend. My husband's thesis reading is on Saturday(yay!) and we are about to have a lot of company. I (not really knowing what I was getting into) volunteered to cook for this marvelous event. I have never cooked for this many people and am a little nervous it will go smoothly, but luckily I will have many family members near for aid in my little venture.

I am so grateful that some of our family can make it to this very important milestone in Bradin's life. I can't believe it's almost been three years since we moved to Missoula, even though the transition has not been easy, I am (finally) coming around and enjoying our remaining months here. So not only is this a Mother's Day post, but also a turning of a new leaf, Bradin's leaf...our leaf. Congratulations Bradin one hoop down only a few more to go.

Happy pre-Mother's Day Mom and Cindi! We are so glad you could come.

my inspiration for these found object trees....spotted right over here.
just a little sad they are going.

Stone, Paper, Ceramic

2009-04-23T06:26:00.002-06:00

Inspired by landscape drawings, Yoran Morvant meticulously draws on stone creating fluid lines and movement.

Block print is used to record the history of this tree. Bryan Nash Gill carefully pressed the imprint on handcrafted washi paper.

Helen Beard hand paints birds and swimmers on porcelain. Her work is beautiful, brushstrokes light and airy.

all wrapped up

2009-04-19T19:06:00.002-06:00

Present wrapping has become my new favorite thing. I enjoy it more than the actual gift giving, although I love that too.

To my friend April who is moving(boo).... glad we were able to develop such a good friendship with you and Clay.

And....thanks YellowGoat for featuring my wallet.

Interview

2009-04-18T19:46:00.002-06:00

Early this week I had the pleasure of interviewing with Becky. Feeling pretty flattered by her request. I had no idea starting my etsy business would lead me this way and I hope that my business can continue to grow. Thank you Becky for this opportunity!

Come on over and read about me on her blog.

Blown-Fabric

2009-04-16T07:09:00.002-06:00

I can't believe this Japanese artist, Nendo. His 09 exhibition revealed the possibilities of synthetic fibre technology. The end results, chochin lanterns out of the blow-fabric, even better than glassblowing. The technique is marvelous.

Woolly Trees

2009-04-15T09:14:00.002-06:00

Another wallet added to the shop. This particular one is printed on vintage wool poly blend. Seems fitting for the tree print.

Huevos rancheros

2009-04-13T08:02:00.004-06:00

This has become our new favorite meal to eat for breakfast/brunch.
It's yummy and very easy to make. All you need is:

Eggs

Tortillas and Black Beans. Check here for my favorite way to prepare.

and salsa

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I start out with the beans so they can slow cook. Once they are finished I spread them on the toasted tortillas.

Then I cook salsa and eggs together, it makes the eggs delicious. I like my eggs over-easy but they can be cooked any way. I think the yolk makes the dish taste a little better. But hey, I understand if you don't like that yolk.

Once those eggs are finished to your liking, add them to the tortilla and beans.
I eat mine open-faced with a dollop of sour cream.

Hope you try this, it really is so...so good.

2009-04-12T07:26:00.003-06:00

Hope you are all having a wonderful Easter Sunday.
If today brings beautiful weather I think a picnic is in store.

get your print here.

Branches

2009-04-10T19:17:00.002-06:00

New cutie wallet just added.

If only there was more time in the day

2009-04-08T09:26:00.002-06:00

Mimi Kirchner now has a tutorial on how to make these wonderful felt dolls.

I will be adding them to my list of many projects I would like to tackle.

2009-04-08T07:35:00.003-06:00

Myoung Ho Lee, amazing photographer from Korea.
An interesting mix of the environment and reality.

A nice surprise

2009-04-07T11:49:00.000-06:00

Yay! I was finally featured on the front page of etsy.

Sorry, not very good with the screen shot thing.... there was more to the page.

Birds of a feather.....

2009-04-02T15:03:00.002-06:00

This one is my favorite thus far. I love it because of the color combo, and the vintage fabric it is lined with is another fave of mine.
I embroidered around all of the feathers to add some visual texture. Take a look here to see the latest.

Planes, Trains and....?

2009-03-31T15:31:00.000-06:00

There is a long stretch of road near our home with train tracks next to them and Bradin and I used to run this route everyday. Occasionally, we would see these commercial planes that were in the raw. I was always so fascinated and wished I could take pictures of these huge bodies of planes, but never had my camera.
So as luck had it today, when running errands, I was driving on this road and there they were. I hurried back to the house and grabbed my camera and finally got some pics of these monstrosities. I mean these could easily be a plane you or I fly on someday. Everything about them is interesting to me: why are they that color, where are they going, and of all places what are they doing here?
Also, anyone have any guesses what those white things are? They were quite large, but I have no clue what they could be. Campers maybe?...that's the only thing I can think of.

It's only for an hour....

2009-03-28T07:45:00.001-06:00

Tonight at 8:30pm turn your lights off for earth hour.

Soft Tree Sculptures

2009-03-26T08:41:00.002-06:00

Ouch...my fingers still hurt from stuffing these little ones. I had originally made these for a new banner in my etsy shop (pics. w/kimi on them) But, just couldn't give up my original banner of spools yet. So I decided to sell them as a set in the store.
I am very happy with the way they turned out, I especially like the print and will probably use it again for a purse or anything else that strikes my fancy. The bottom of the tree sculptures remind me of an actual tree you would buy at a greenhouse all bundled up ready to plant. So I guess that's what they are, little trees waiting for someone to plant them in their home.
I must admit I feel a little sad letting them go.

Do I hear music playing in the background?

2009-03-23T13:10:00.002-06:00

I had to share these wonderful designs miss Carly has done. These are for her current venture, a very cool project designing posters for (according to my ear) some of the finest musicians out there.
Amidst all of this she also does the artwork for her husband's band, the Slings (check them out, it's totally worth it).
I just adore her style and I'm sure she will have no problem selling 'em posters!

Antler Magazine

2009-03-22T22:54:00.000-06:00

A fresh new online magazine dedicated to the beauty of life.
The imagery is stunning.