As I work on my own original work (all of which I can't show just yet), I find that I've moved away from the internet a bit. Design blogs, quilting blogs, and all the websites relevant to that have been a huge source of inspiration in many ways, but sometimes it really crowds my thoughts and keeps me from really reaching for my own originality. Some days if I spend too long looking at internet inspiration, and step away feeling like I have no originality left, and that's not where I need to be right now. Does this make sense? Stepping back has been very good creatively, but I always feel I need to apologize for unanswered emails and questions and hope you understand. (Answers are a bit slower when the computer isn't always on.)
One place where I will never stop finding inspiration is in books. In the past, a turn of the season always meant a few new design or craft books, but this year's small inspiration stack is a bit different. I thought I'd share what my newest favorites are:
Top Pot Hand-Forged Donuts: Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker by Mark and Michael Klebeck. If you've ever been into a Starbucks in the past year or so and ordered one of their old-fashioned donuts and loved it, this book is to be coveted for that recipe alone. I know that Klebeck brothers, they grew up in Seattle, and they have amazing taste and are genuinely nice guys, so grateful for the success of Top Pot donuts. The photographs in the book are by another friend of mine, Scott Pitts. Supporting these guys is definitely supporting some hard working, truly good folks. There is a "Donut Primer section", as well as sections for Devil's Cake Donuts, Raised Donuts, Old Fashioned Donuts, Spice Cake Donuts, and one just for Icings, Glazes and Toppings. Emma and I already have our on the Lemon Valley Girl and the Pink Feather Boa recipes. I have a feeling once we get the basics down and perfected, they'll be no stopping us.
Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts by you-know-who. I realize that this is actually a craft book, going against what I said above, but hear me out. I have all my Martha Stewart Living magazines and have never thrown them out mainly because a-I had room to keep them and b-her website is pretty terrible, I can never find what I actually need. Books like this one condense many of the projects from those past magazine issues and neatly compartmentalizes them into seasons, so if I'm needing a little seasonal inspiration around the house its easy to grab this book and have a lool. (We crafters, we do things like this, crazy as it sounds.) Plus, Emma is old enough to really get into making things and this is a great book for her to have around to. I'm hoping she'll get some Christmas gift inspiration in here.
The Dictionary of Ordinary Extraordinary Animals by Lisa McGuinness and Leslie Jonath. What sold me on this book were the beautiful handpainted illustrations by my friend Lisa Congdon, I really love her use of color. But when it arrived, I also realized is a really interesting book with facts about animals I'm sure I could impress my kids with. For example, did you know that Emus are the only bird in the world with calf muscles!? Mention that at dinner tonight. I am.
These books, as well as my new obsession over dollhouse furniture, will certainly entertain me in my off-hours. What about you? Any inspiring books you'd like to share?
