wise craft

fall books

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?

campaign

Vote Emma for Public Relations Director

"I love to take pictures and write stories."

-Emma, 7th Grade

"P.S.- Oh, and I love dragons."

peacock, and the spreading of feathers

The kind of thing that ABsolutely kills me when I'm shopping for my dollhouse. A tiny peacock portrait. Did you read that? A tiny peacock portrait! I think I have a thing for animal portraiture (if only this peacock were wearing pearls!).

I'm really thinking that I'm going to go a bit Hollywood Regency in my dollhouse decor. I'm so into sparkle right now.

But I have a huge aversion to the word "decor", why is that? Help me use another word.

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Its been a very out-of-sorts kind of week around here, which is why I haven't posted much. I'm very thankful for the weekend ahead and plan to regroup. I am currently working on some big blog changes, the first and most noticeable one is that I am phasing out my sponsor program (you may notice that the boxes are dwindling to the right over there). My sponsors have been so good to me, so supportive, and have allowed me to cover the various expenses that come along with having this blog and the time I spend here for the past 2 years. But the reality is, having sponsors means committing to a certain number of blog posts per week. My work on all things family-related, Story Trading-related, and wise craft-related are changing quite rapidly behind the scenes (in a good way!) and there may be weeks that posts just don't happen as timely as I'd like. My energy needs to be focused in the right way. Plus, I think you readers want to read what's really happening here, rather than me just filling space to create a blog post, am I right? Be assured the blog will not cease to exist, but it will change. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I really have to thank these folks for their support, please pay them a visit.

Pink Chalk Fabrics

Paradiso Designs

Jototes

Vista Prints

Cards Direct

Fabricworm

Cooper Sewing Machines in the UK

hugs to all,

Blair

 

 

 

 

moo card giveaway

There is still time to enter the Moo Card Giveway! Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win.

let's prepare for the holidays with some cards

Oh, doesn't messy pre-teen room love company? I'm not alone in my plight, what shall we do- my current solution of closing the door will only get me so far. I'm really excited, the idea of fresh paint on walls and dust-free corners make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, can't wait to get started.

However, I will have to daydream and plan with Emma and not actually do for a little longer, there's other things that are priority over that for the immediate future, but I'm all about getting things checked off my list, so watch out. I'm working on a big project today, BUT I wanted to announce a new giveaway, a great one from the folks at MOO cards (maker of all the awesome business cards we creatives love).

This giveaway is for their Holiday cards, (design your own or choose from their many designs) and 3 lucky winners will get the chance to design and order 25 cards for free (you can, of course, order more, but you will get 25 for free). Just leave a comment on this post to be eligible to win. Its not limited to the US this time, so jump in you out-of-towners.

Good luck!

xo,

Blair

Update- This giveway is over and winners have been chosen. Thanks to everyone who entered.

real life room

Real life. Right here. In Emma's room.

I am *dying* to get my hands on this room. For obvious reasons (see photo above) but also because something is happening here. In just a couple of weeks I will have a teenager in the house. Yep, a full-fledged teenager. The little girl that I've had around here for all these years has been growing and will soon enter a whole new classification of "kid".

And she tells me she no longer likes lavender walls.

Honest truth? I don't either.

Emma's is the biggest bedroom in the house. A dream sized room for a teenager really. Although I have made it very clear that there will be no TV or computer moving into the space, there is room for immense improvement. I have gone over finger-in-the-air-drawn floor plans with Peter, with Emma, with myself. I have a pinterest board of looks and interiors I want to remember.

But do you see this room? No, really, look at that photo.

I'm kind of scared to go in. I have done a thorough clean of this room before, but in the past year I'll admit I've given up. God knows what's in there. Seriously. Snacks. Half-finished crafts. Old cat toys. She has promised me that she will, at the very least, take 15 minutes every evening and go through one small area. You're probably thinking that at this rate it'll take at least a year, but small goals so no one gets overwhelmed.

I think this means a new quilt too. Maybe 2!

Of course it does.

dollhouse, day 1

Dolls and miniature things at the wise craft house should start getting excited- I've started building this house! I know that once I start going and get the less-exciting, more structural type things done, there's doing to be major progress happening. That's how I work, I procrastinate and put off, then force mysef to start and am soon totally into it. As I've mentioned, I've already ordered wallpaper. Of course. I had that before I'd even laid everything out to get started. Several kinds in fact. Here's one I love that I haven't shown you (keep in mind how miniature this is and you'll squeal like I did). Remember, Peter doesn't live here-

Size-wise, this house is big. Much bigger than I realized. Peter cut out a piece of 36" square birch plywood for me (even sanded down the sides so I won't get splinters without asking, such a keeper). The walls will eventually get glued down to the base, but for now the walls only glued to each other. To store it I will have to slide it under my tall studio work tables, there's really nowhere else for it to go.

Of course, I have already purchased wood flooring that will eventually go down in some of the rooms.

My father-in-law recommended a 2 part glue to glue the structure together. Finding this took a few trips around town to hobby shops and craft stores before I finally found what I needed, but they had it at Gary's Games. I used Zap A Gap glue and Zap Kicker spray. Applying the glue to one piece, then spraying the kicker on the 2nd piece, creates a strong and very fast bond upon contact. Heed my words, fast and strong. I suggest wearing your gloves, a mask, and do it where there is ventilation, but it works great, I got all the the exterior walls together in about 30 minutes.

I love that this project is so far removed from everything else I'm currently working on. Or is it? The challenge will be the DIY projects I invision putting into this house. I've got really big plans. Scary big. Stay tuned.

Dollhouse sources I'm liking currently:

Itsy Bitsy Mini- I found my wood flooring, bathroom tile, and wallpaper sheets here, nice quality.

Gigi N Studio- some mid-century modern pieces, as well as other styles, all handmade, lovely.

Miniatures- There's tons of cute basics on this site.

I'm also trolling ebay.

More soon!

lucca in ballard

 

 

One of my favorite stores in Seattle, Lucca on Ballard Ave. in the Ballard section of Seattle. There are zinc letters, amazing smelling candles, perfumes, wondeful ribbon and paper, little toys that I plan to put in my kid's advent, as well as an ever-changing collection of chandeliers and oddities for your home. I love that everything is so beautifully displayed and that there is always something new to discover. It feels a little like you are going through someone's attic, a very beautifully curated one. I go in there whenever I need a little creative inspiration. The last time I was in there Emma found what has become her favorite necklace, a monicle-sized magnifying glass that is on a long chain.

If you live in Seattle and haven't been there, please stop by. Its stores like this I want to support.

dot dot dot

- My kind of Halloween decorating... simple, a little shiny, not so scary it'll give me kids bad dreams, and doesn't involve blood: fake or otherwise.

- I treated myself to this print over the weekend, I am such a fan of Lisa's work, the quilts and blankets hanging on the line had me right away.

- I need to buy this t-shirt for someone.

- Organized myself over the weekend and I'm so happy that meals for the week are planned out (2 favorite slow cooker meals, smoky beef tacos and spiced chicken). I should start every week this way.

- Thanks so much for all the drink suggestions, please keep 'em coming!

- As well as enjoying the newest Beirut release, The Rip Tide, I've also been listening to the band Papercuts this past week, I'll leave you with my favorite.

Future Primitive by Papercuts

Enjoy your Monday!

 

cocktail friday

Being self-employed, and usually running as fast as we can (probably you too), it can get a bit stressful around here some days. Back in the summer, when I was especially glad to see Fridays come, I started a weekly tradition here at the house of Cocktail Fridays. Just a silly little idea really, but once I got the bar cart all set up, I became a little obsessed with discovering good cocktails and learning how to mix drinks. For the most part, Peter is a non-drinker, so I knew it would be met with a little skepticism. Surprisingly though, a few weeks of Friday night cocktails behind us, and, surprisingly, Peter was taking over the planning of Friday's new drink.

Although I joked to friends that my initial goal was to get Peter to drink more, its really not about that. I love traditions, rituals, and routines in life. This is just a new ritual to end the week. Slowing down, sampling a new drink together, talking about the day, the act of letting go of the week (as much as we can, since work almost always continues over the weekend). Sipping a cocktail is very relaxing, and quite literally does warm up the insides. Put all of this in a nice glass that requires a little intention to hold, and look at yourself. You've just slowed down. Suddenly dinner prep more intentional and, dare I say, even pleasant.

To aid in all this newfound interest in the science of mixing a good drink, my sister-in-law Jen pointed me to what has now become one my favorite apps, Mixology (I use the free version). This app is wonderful, it allows you to plug in what you have on hand (not only the alcohol, but mixers, colas, juices, etc) and it spits back out selection of drink ideas and recipes. So easy for a novice like me. We do splurge on nice quality liquor because with one of these drinks a week, we figure go big on quality since we're not overindulging. Plus, we are suckers for good packaging and pretty, sparkly bottles. That corner of the dining room has lit up from its former dowdy days.

Here's a short list of the drinks we've tried and liked.

Pimms' Cup- I pulled this basic recipe from Molly, but an even simpler version, with the traditional cucumber spear.

Gin and Tonic- Good gin (I like Bombay Sapphire, and not only because of its pretty bottle) is essential. Chill everything before you mix it all together and its perfect for a hot summer evening. This one has become my go-to on evenings I have no imagination left.

Sapphire French Martini Cocktail- 1 part Bombay Sapphire, 1 1/2 parts pineapple juice, with Chambord drizzled in just before serving. I chilled everything (including the martini glasses) before mixing and serving. This one is like dessert. Chambord is my all-time favorite liqueur, Peter and I lugged a bottle of it all over England on our honeymoon, from hotel to hotel, and had a toast and a nightcap every night.

Peach Margaritas- This was a last minute Everyday Food recipe. Filling, almost smoothie-like.

We've also tried Mojitos, basic Margaritas, and a couple others that were not memorable.

We also trying different types of sake. I dislike every hot sake I'd ever tried, but I recently tried chilled sake and it completely changed my mind. Much like a chilled white wine and, in my opinion, much smoother than sake served warm. Last week we tried one "layered with essence of green apples and fresh kiwi". It was delicious.

As the weather gets cooler, I look forward to the whole category of hot toddy's and warm drinks. And in my imagination, any drink mixed with coffee sounds good to me.

I can't understate how much nicer a well-made drink is served in a nice glass. It just feels like a treat to hold as well as sip. I purchased some basic, reasonably martini glasses at Crate and Barrel (part of the "Viv" collection).

I'd love to hear your favorites, we need more ideas.

Cheers!