Little Pieces

I can think of few things more dainty and feminine than a fine bit of china, dotted sweetly here and there with little pink flowers. And I can think of no starker contrast to such sweet dainty-ness that a cold concrete basement floor, Iggy and the Stooges playing loudly in the background. However, that is exactly the scene I plunked myself right down in the middle of, armed with tile cutters and a devilish grin.

You see, the devilish grin was because I had big plans for these old plates. I had a new use for them, one grandma could never have imagined while serving Sunday dinners upon them. Nope, no longer would they be used to eat off of. Uh-uh. These plates, well, these plates were about to become accessories.

So, after a day with my trusty cutters, Iggy, and a good amount of tile adhesive, and another morning with my old friends Grout Bucket and Sponge, I had me some lovely new pendants. All that was left to do was add a bit of chain and some pretty what-nots, and then, just like that, grandma's old china has been turned into a little special something that can now be worn.

 Have a fancy day, my dears!

xo

A Little Bag O' Buttons

I love to organize things. Like, really, really love to organize. And organizing done in a pretty way? Swoon. Recently, it seems some of my little crafty this and thats have gotten a bit out of control, and could do with a bit of organizing. And, since I had a few of these:

and whole bunches of these:

I figured I'd make myself this:

Cute, no? Now...off to put things in a proper place!

xo

Orange Crush

I was in the produce store the other day. And I was thinking about cupcakes (Well, what else would I be thinking about while browsing produce?). I spied a pile of coconuts, and started musing on shreddy, coconut-textured frosting. The cupcakes themselves would have to be chocolate. Yes yes, definitely chocolate. And instead of adding regular old milk to the batter, I'd add coconut milk. That should work, right? Moments later, I walked out with a big old bag of blood oranges.

The cupcakes, of course, remained chocolate. But the frosting...oh, the frosting! The added blood orange gave it a perfectly pinky-orange hue, and the subtlest, most deliciously sweet and tart flavor. Pure bliss in a paper wrapper.

Wishing you a perfectly sweet and tangy weekend, dear readers!
xo

Certain A'Peel

So I've got this thing for old stuff. Old stuff has character. Old stuff has quirk. And, quite often, old stuff has chippy, peely paint. Nothing can set my heart all a-flutter in the middle of a junk-filled flea market quite like a bit of perfectly peely paint.

I have tried, with varying degrees of semi-success, to recreate an authentically peely look, with everything from sandpaper to wax to a hair dryer. But let's face it: nothing, and I do mean nothing, has that heart-fluttery goodness found in the flakes of authentically old and peely paint.

Hoping the day holds much appeal for you, my dears!
xo

Mama Mia!

Viola, pasta!

Easy peasy, right? No, I wouldn't know, either (my mama made it). I just stood by, taking pictures and making cocktails. I did eat it, though...delizioso!

Happy Spring!

xo

Snow Is Gone

Well, mostly. There are still a few of those big, dirty piles in the shaded corners of parking lots that are too high to have melted completely. But, according to the weatherman, the temperature is going to be flirting with the higher end of the thermometer this weekend. And, for the most part, the sun should be shining. Spring is a rare thing in these parts, we seem to jump right from boots and parkas to sundresses and sandals, with only a few precious days of the in between. So, ditch those parkas and get out and frolic while you can.
xo

What a Swell Party...

Indeed, it was a swell afair. All snips and snails and puppy dog tails. There were friends, and family, and sweet things all in blue. There was food...lots of food (Like pork balls. Try saying that without giggling.). For my part in making it the lovely day that it was, I stuck to what I knew: decorating and baking.

I made cupcakes in both the savory

scallion cheddar cupcakes

and the sweet varieties.



carrot ginger cupcakes

And, of course, there were cookies, flavored with lemons and shaped like stars.

All to welcome a new little star.

Twinkle twinkle, sweets.

xo



And Then There's Maude

There was once a mixer named Maude. A strong, sturdy mixer, who was often put to the test. Tests she always came through with flying colors. But while Maude had no complaints, this little beater did.

This little beater had been grumbling and complaining for a while. First, the enamel started wearing away. Not a very good thing. Recently, the grumbles and complaints became louder, and the little beater stopped doing what a good beater should do. Flour sat along the bottom and sides of the bowl un-mixed. Support had to be called in, in the form of a spatula. This could not go on.

Then one day, a new little beater came into Maude's and my world. A magical beater, with sides that look like bat wings. Sides lined with tiny spatula-like scrapers that scoop everything from the bottom and sides of the bowl while it spins, freeing the actual spatula up to do other things. Like scrape bowls of lemony goodness into cookie dough.



Oh, magical bat-winged beater, I can hardly remember my life before you came into it. How happy we are going to be together.

xo

Happy Happy Birthday, Bay-Bee

This week, my little Bee turns one. And my, how we've grown! It's been a year of baby steps and trying new things. A year of firsts, of learning and growing along the way. A year filled with wonderful and inspiring new friends. Friends (both old and new) whose support and creativity have, perhaps unwittingly, pushed and challenged me to achieve more, and kept me going when I felt there was no point. Thank you, friends. You are the world to me. Bee and I have traveled so far since our journey began, but we have so far yet to go. New challenges and discoveries and friends still to be made, and adventures awaiting us as we continue to grow. Thank you all, my dear friends, for joining me and Bee on this journey.

Wishing you many happy returns!
xo

{dear friends, please join me in celebrating my little Bee by taking 15% off of your purchasse during our birthday week. Just enter the code HAPPYBEEDAY at check-out!}