Homemade wrapping paper

This winter I decided to make my own wrapping paper from paper bags, potatoes and a little paint. With a little Christmas colored string and gold bells, my gifts were set to go!

Cards for me, cards for you

There's nothing like a little late night card making.

Perfectly imperfect

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I've always wanted to try a photo collage project like this. From Me To You's is made of 30 (!) images.

To market, to market

After dreaming about fresh baked spelt bread, we finally made it up to the Haleiwa Famers' Market. A frequent weekend stop back when I lived on the North Shore, it's such a treat to see (and eat!) all the fresh local goodies. Came home with Spelt Goddess Bread and passion fruit scones compliments of the North Shore Baker Dude. Yum!

Next on my reading list

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Ed Emberley, Doodler Extraordinaire

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Who knew artist Ed Emberley was as charming as his little thumbprint drawings? I recently stumbled upon a video of Emberley discussing the unexpected success of his first drawing book, the one where artists and non-artists alike can create cute animal drawings with six simple shapes. I remember making thumbprint characters from his book when I was younger. The skiing thumbprint was my favorite.

Emberley has now written and illustrated over 80 books, a true accomplishment.

Scion Installation LA: Ed Emberley & Friends - Ed Emberley from Scion ART on Vimeo.

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the Dîner en Blanc

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This summer, for the 23rd year, thousands of Parisians convened at a secret location somewhere in city for a very private dinner set in two very public locations.

At 9 pm on the evening of the dinner, the site was announced and 4,400 guests dressed entirely in white arrived at the plaza of Notre Dame; 6,200 more in front of the Louvre. Covertly transporting their own dinner, tables, linens and cutlery, the guests neatly assembled themselves according to a meticulously planned seating map and began their picnic. Dining was followed by dancing; then, at the stroke of midnight, almost as mysteriously as it began, the guests packed up their things and disappeared into the anonymity of the night.

This year, on August 25th, New York city will have their own "Dinner in White." The location, of course, has yet to be announced; however, those wishing to attend can sign up for the waiting list here.

Some goods for a dinner in white:

1. Fine Dining Placemats 2. Candle 3. Sunglasses 4. White Dress 5. Travel Journal 6. LadyPouchette 7. Necklace

Spring Green, WI

If you ever find yourself in need of ribbon in rural Wisconsin, Convivo is the place to be.

This delightful little store is located in Spring Green, a small town just west of Madison. (For the architecture folks, it's also in the same area as Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen Estate.) Convivio has a surprisingly vast selection of patterned ribbons, hand-dipped candles, cards and table decor. Of all their goodies, the ribbon takes the cake.

The beets are my favorite.

It Gets Better

Last year, a horrific series of adolescent suicides prompted Seattle Stranger writer, Dan Savage, to record a video with his partner, Terry, giving a message of hope to young people being bullied for being or simply appearing to be gay. The idea was to show these 13 and 14-year-olds that although life may seem impossible when you are outcasted or ridiculed for being different, life can and does get better. That video evolved into a movement. Now, the It Gets Better Project, seen at itgetsbetter.org, has thousands of videos from all kinds of people and organizations sending the same message, to hold on and believe that it does get better.

You can see messages recorded by all kinds of celebrities from President Obama to Kermit the Frog, but I found the most moving ones to be from Fort Worth Texas City Councilman Joel Burns, Pixar employees and the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. I suggest watching those three in that order.

It's a truly beautiful project. Way to go, Dan Savage.

A little bakery on a little island

Anyone who has ever endured the bleakness of a dismal Seattle winter can truly appreciate how glorious the weather was for the summer solistice this year. Last week, as if the Sun Gods were smiling down on us, for just one day the clouds parted and Seattleites bathed in radiant northwest sunlight. For one contented Seattleite, however, a trip across the Puget Sound yielded another welcome surprise: The Blackbird Bakery.

Located in Winslow, this charming bakery has a surprisingly large selection of gluten free baked goods (in addition, of course, to standard wheat products). Their herb rolls and chocolate chip cookies are fantastically soft, chewy even. This is great news because, if you order it one day in advance, they'll make you a whole loaf of the herb bread.





Owner, Karen Morgan, also has an awesome collection of gluten free recipes on her blog. Maybe if we're really lucky, Seattle will get more sunny days and a Blackbird Bakery on our side of the Sound.

Amanda Blake, Painter

Lovely use of patterns and repetition, both simple and intricate, by this Portland-based artist. Great texture from the brushstrokes, too.


via: sebasatian foster

Edward Sharpe Duet