I do wonder if the English translation of "La Merde" is equivalent to the American slang for "the best". I doubt it, but that's totally what I meant by it. For anyone out there who is as fascinated by Parisian culture as I am will appreciate having this next book as a hollow book safe.
In the Merde for Love follows the adventures of Englishman Paul West as an expat in France. What is the best way to scare a gendarme? Is it really polite to sleep with your boss’s mistress? And why are there no public health warnings on French nude beaches? Paul discovers how to judge a French vacationer by the rustiness of his bicycle; opens his English tearoom; and finally understands why Parisian waiters are so cranky.
Happy holidays people! It's been a while since my last post but I'm back at it, blogging and crafting. I just put the finishing touches on my latest crop of hollow books which I plan to release on my Etsy site over the coming week. First up: as this post's title hints at, is a novel about a woman who really needs no introduction. It is she who made Manolo a household name...Ms. Carrie Bradshaw!
This book, Summer and the City, chronicles Carrie's earlier days in the Big Apple and how she came to meet two of her besties, Samantha and Miranda.
If it were Carrie, what would she keep in her hollow book? Perhaps a pack of cigarettes or her signature "Carrie" necklace? Oh the possibilities!
I had the great fortune to attend a fantastic event last Saturday. Apparently, CupcakeCamp is an event spreading across cities all over the world (Check out http://cupcakecamp.org/ for their worldwide directory!) and DC is one of them! Basically, the idea is that bakers, whether amateur or pro, sign up to create their signature cupcakes which the attendees get to sample. Both the attendees and a formal panel of judges decide on the best of the best. And all the proceeds for the event benefit a charity. In the case of the DC CupcakeCamp, it was DC Candlelighters, a childhood cancer foundation.
So what was my take on all this?
They had me at cupcake.
My cupcake selections (left to right): Lavender lemon, salted caramel, key lime, pumpkin spice, chai latte, and toasted coconut.
CupcakeCampDC attendees (at the Continental in Rosslyn)
The winners!
The first place winner of the 2012 CupcakeCamp DC was Joel Gill of Josie's Confections for his ingenious Chicken & Waffle cupcake. To Joel, congrats!! And since I couldn't get my hands on one before they were all snatched away, where can I get these??
It's been a long week y'all. My goals for the week included getting caught up at the office, working out at least a few times, and finding some time to craft. With last-minute fire drills popping up daily at work, I've barely had time to think, let alone find time to work out. But as I got home each night, my mind whirring full of the craziness of the day, the only way to calm my frustrations was through craft.
When a day just seems to spin out of control, there's something empowering about using your own hands to create something from nothing. "Nothing" being defined loosely, however. I had just purchased this beautiful blue chevron-print fabric and was itching to put it to good use:
I love chevron! I also have some sunny yellow terry cloth that's so soft to the touch. So what better use would there be for these two fabrics than a zippered pouch?
By the end of the week, I impressed myself by the ability to channel all this excess pent-up energy into something positive and cheery. I love my new cupcake terry cloth pouch (with chevron print interior) and I really hope you do too. Now available on Etsy.
New merch in da house! I'm giddy with excitement with our new children's cupcake applique tees! The first one has now been posted, but check back often as I'll be listing others throughout the week.
What I love about these tees is being able to pair my love of cupcakes with my love of beautiful printed fabrics to create a unique applique.
A preview of the other tees to be posted later on throughout this week (in an array of colors, patterns and children's sizes):
I made myself a most delicious meal last night and just have to share. I found the idea of making ground pork-stuffed tomatoes on Pinterest and then started searching the Web for different recipes. Pulling from a variety of recipes I found, I came up with a unique, Vietnamese-style receipe of my own:
Ingredients:
4 large ripe tomatoes
Pork stuffing:
1 lb of ground pork
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 bunch of watercress, blanched and finely chopped
2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
ground pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Sauce:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375F.
2) Slice the top part of the tomato off and scoop out the seeds and flesh to leave a hollow cup. Reserve seeds and flesh in a separate bowl for the sauce. While preparing the pork stuffing, place the tomatoes upside down on a plate to drain.
3) In a medium-sized bowl, combine ground pork, shallot, watercress, fish sauce, sugar, and pepper.
4) Take the tomato cups and gently pat the insides dry with a paper towel. Fill the cups with the pork stuffing, tightly packing all the way to the top.
5) Add enough oil to a frying pan to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and heat over medium high. When the oil begins to slightly sizzle, place the tomatoes meat-side down. Cook until the tops crisp up and brown, approximately 10 minutes.
6) Transfer the tomatoes to a baking pan, meat-side up, and bake for 40-45 minutes.
7) While the tomatoes are baking, add the reserved tomato pulp to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. While it's simmering, stir in the ketchup.
8) Combine fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and water separately. After the tomatoes are done simmering, remove from heat and add fish sauce mixture.
9) Serve stuffed tomatoes with rice and pour sauce on top. Enjoy!
Have you seen the latest event posting from the crafter's mecca that is Etsy? On Friday, August 24, Etsy is hosting a Craft Party: A Global Celebration of Meeting and Making.
Craft Party is a time to get to know your neighbors and exercise your creative spirit. Craft Parties take place around the world when communities come together to participate in art, craft, design and DIY in every form. Anyone can organize a Craft Party and anyone can participate — the power is literally in your hands!
This year's theme: Wish You Were Here
We encourage you to work together on projects that reflect your hometown. Think about local and regional crafts, music, style and food; ways to pay tribute to a notable landmark or place; an activity that tells local lore through handmade means; or any creative project that has local flavor. It's up to you to decide how you showcase the theme at your party — go wild!
Etsy and our special sponsor, Michaels, will provide every party that has at least 25 participants signed up with a free box of craft supplies. The deadline for RSVP sign ups is August 12. The more people signed up for your party, the more generous the box of supplies! (Of course, we encourage you to continue garnering RSVP and participation right up till the big day too! We set this deadline, so we can get the box of supplies to the party organizers in time.)
We will also provide every event organizer with a free, downloadable Craft Party Kit containing how-to project instructions and templates, party decor ideas, and other tips for hosting your own party, plus a few surprises.
Get involved
To organize or find a local event, visit the Etsy hub on Meetup Everywhere. Add your event — big or small, public or private — or find one nearby to join.
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There are a ton of groups already formed so check out the Meetup page for your local group. Or start your own Meetup if no one has already! For those residing in Washington, DC and the surrounding area, I would suggest joining this group (already over 25 strong!). This is such a great idea to bring likeminded people together and garner that sense of community. Hope to see you there!
One of today's nationwide LivingSocial deals really piqued my interest: $20 for an online crafting class of your choice at Craftsy. I hadn't heard of Craftsy before so I decided to check it out. I couldn't believe I hadn't stumbled on this site before! One hour later, and my mind was racing weighing my options:
Should I learn about sewing ruffles and embellishments?
Or perhaps how to make knit beads?
Or even a product photography primer?
I quickly purchased the deal. I'll report back on which class I ultimately pick and my review of how it goes. The tough part now is narrowing down my choices!
Calling all DC crafters: If you're free this Wednesday evening, come check out the Handi-hour at the Renwick Gallery. For $20, you get two beers, live music, and all you can craft. The theme of this Handi-hour is all about mail art. For details, check out the Renwick Gallery's calendar page or see below:
When
Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 5:30 – 8pm
Categories
After Five, Demonstrations, Performances,
Workshops
Location
Renwick Gallery
Event Location
Grand Salon
Cost
Admission is $20 at the door, cash only, and
includes two drink tickets, snacks, and all you can craft. Ages 21 and
older.
Note
This summer, the Renwick Gallery’s Handi-hour goes “postal
modern” with the National Postal Museum. Join us for craft projects themed
around making and sending beautiful mail while sipping on craft beer from
Churchkey/Birch and Barley and listening to live music by
Brad Pugh of Practically Einstein. The Sit ‘n’ Knit corner is
available for all skill levels if you want to work on a project or learn from
the beginning. Attendees takes a scavenger hunt through the permanent collection
galleries for fun and crafty prizes.
Check out the American Art Museum's YouTube Channel for how-to
videos on our featured crafts at here.
No trip to the beach would be complete without collecting some seashells by the seashore. It's always interesting to see what you'll find washed up ashore.
Here are some of my finds for this beach trip:
In addition to shells I found some awesome-looking sea glass - would make for some great new Ring Bling rings :)
I used some of the larger shells for display in a round glass on a wall ledge. I was curious to see what other craft projects utilized shells and found a good roundup on the Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart sites. The possibilities are endless!
I was so excited to go antiquing yesterday, though to be honest I didn't expect I'd be buying much if anything. Living in a small studio apartment, I'm constrained for space (not to mention budget!). But most of the thrill of antiquing is through the hunt, and I found a couple of fun finds.
As an Archie comic book aficionado in my younger days, I felt the nostalgia hit as I combed through a stack of old comic books in one shop.
I picked up a Chili comic book, which looked like a precursor to the Archies. Wikipedia tells me that Chili was a redhead who was a nemesis to Millie the Model, whose comic series ran from 1945 to 1973. Chili received a spinoff series that ran from 1969 to 1973.
My other great find from antiquing were these lovely vintage keys:
I love the shape and detailing on these. Even though the first is a little rusted, I'm hoping to spray a silver finish to make it look good as new. I'm hoping to turn these into some sort of jewelry, but what? Seems like a perfect Pinterest project for me!
I received the Zoku Quick Pop Maker as a gift from work, and it was perfect to take along with me to my beach week trip. As excited as I was to make my very own pops, I have to admit the warnings I read from online reviews and the user instructions were intimidating. No unsweetened pops, minimal alcohol in pops, must freeze unit for at least 24 hours, no filling past the line, make sure unit is completely dry before freezing...break any rules and I run the risk of not being able to pull out my pops or, even worse, breaking the pop maker itself. For such a happy little product, there were a lot of things that scared me.
From the Zoku recipe book, I decided to try the recipe for the S'Mores pops, which involved making a fudge base and alternating with layers of mini marshmallows and graham cracker. For my first batch, it became a little messy as I tried to pour the fudge mixture into the narrow pop slots (see Exhibit A).
Exhibit A: My first attempt at pops, a hot (or rather cold) mess
I learned that a funnel or spout to pour the liquids vastly improved subsequent results. After filling the molds and with about 10 minutes of waiting, out came this little guy:
Verdict: Delicious! Very tasty and not at all artificial. I was so happy about how this turned out that I didn't mind all the extra hassle of reading through the do's and don'ts before starting. And I love how the Zoku maker lets you play up your creative side. I have a feeling the Zoku blog, filled with recipes and how-to's, will soon make its way to my favorites list.
Here are a couple other tips I learned through my first batch of pops:
- For the second and subsequent batches, it will take progressively longer for the pops to freeze. I even put the unit back into the freezer for the second batch to make sure it froze properly.
- It's also helpful to cool/chill the liquid for the pops (in my case, the fudge base) prior to filling the molds.
- If a pop gets stuck in the maker, just let it thaw out in the unit and then start over.
- Have a chopstick or other blunt object on hand to push down/pack in the ingredients, especially if you have something like marshmallows or toppings that can create gaps in the pop mold. You want to keep the pop packed in dense to make sure it doesn't fall apart.
If you're ever having a bad day and need a nice visual pick-me-up, I suggest checking out the tumblr All Things Girly & Beautiful. It's so lighthearted and summery, it's bound to make anyone's day just a little brighter.
I thought of this tumblr as an inspiration for my latest Dome ring collection at Ring Bling. These rings are girly, preppy and perfect for summer.
The ring in the second photo is The Sparkler, a fun, multi-colored glittery bauble. And the bottom two rings feature Chevron stripes, which are absolutely my new favorite print. I figured, if they're popping up on everything from fabrics to upholstery, might as well add them to jewelry as well!
Whether you wear them to the office, to the beach, or out on the town, they're sure to bring a touch of summer shine to your look!
This just in..four new titles to add to the hollow book safe collection on Ring Bling. Who knew this would be our most popular item? But I love making them, and I love receiving all your positive feedback! Here are the latest additions, which will be added sporadically over the week to my Etsy shop (so check back often!):
1) Tan Lines by J.J. Salem
About the book:
During one unforgettable season at a Hamptons summer share, three women's
journeys unfold thrill by thrill and shock by shock, in this addictive story
about the illusions of glamour, the dark side of success and the elusiveness of
love.
Liza Pike--She's the It Girl for topical feminist spin--beautiful,
successful, and ferociously fearless. But as the media props her up to be the
millennium's new Gloria Steinem, she's falling into all the old traps she
cautions other women to avoid...
Kellyanne Downey--She's been holding out for her big break as an actress
while enduring a series of dead end jobs and playing mistress to a rich
developer. But now she's wondering why the phenomenal looks that were supposed
to take her all the way are leading her to the edge of nowhere...
Billie Shelton--She's the indie-rock bitch goddess with an appetite for
self-destruction. Men are candy, drugs are fuel, girlfriends are disposable
commodities, and in her world, looking out for number one is the only way to
live...
Tan Lines portrays the passions, triumphs, and heartbreaks of modern
women with a sly intelligence and wickedly sharp prose that will hook you to the
last page.
2) Creation in Death by Nora Roberts (writing as J.D. Robb)
About the book:
NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of a near-future New York City
safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted
by those she couldn't save-and the killers she couldn't capture. When the body
of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked
by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Eve is catapulted back to a case nine
years earlier. The city was on edge from a killing spree that took the lives of
four women in fifteen days, courtesy of a man the media tagged "The
Groom"-because he put silver rings on the fingers of his victims.
When it turns out that the young brunette was employed by Eve's billionaire
husband, Roarke, she brings him in on the case-a move that proves fitting when
it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made his attack personal. The
victim was washed in products from a store Roarke owns, and laid out on a sheet
his company manufactures.
3) Bubbles Ablaze by Sarah Strohmeyer
About the book:
Agatha winner Strohmeyer provides lots of madcap fun in her third book (after
2002's Bubbles in Trouble) to feature budding reporter/detective/hairdresser
Bubbles Yablonsky. Lured into an unused Pennsylvania coal mine, Bubbles and her
"Mel Gibson dead ringer" photographer boyfriend, Steve Stiletto, narrowly escape
harm in a cave-in right after they stumble on car-sales magnate Bud Price with
"a six-inch bloody hole blown into the middle of his chest." They also find the
abandoned car of Bubbles's cousin-in-law, Carl "Stinky" Koolball, the
cartographer for McMullen Coal, the company that owns the mine. And now Stinky's
missing. The plot thickens like a vat of kapusta as more and more ingredients
are added-perhaps too many. On top of her crime-solving, Bubbles must deal with
her rebellious teenage daughter, her biker-chick mother's vendetta over some
stolen Polish recipes, and a clean-cut stud named Zeke who keeps following her.
4) Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
About the book:
The hero of Charles Frazier's beautifully written and deeply-imagined first
novel is Inman, a disillusioned Confederate soldier who has failed to die as
expected after being seriously wounded in battle during the last days of the
Civil War. Rather than waiting to be redeployed to the front, the soul-sick
Inman deserts, and embarks on a dangerous and lonely odyssey through the
devastated South, heading home to North Carolina, and seeking only to be
reunited with his beloved, Ada, who has herself been struggling to maintain the
family farm she inherited. Cold Mountain is an unforgettable addition to
the literature of one of the most important and transformational periods in
American history.
