Hammers and other cool stuff

I love to hammer. I’m just not very good at it. I blame my Kindergarten teacher. For reasons never to be understood, learning to use a hammer and saw was part of the Kindergarten curriculum back in the day. WTF? I mean, really, expecting five-year-olds to master a sharp saw by creating a sail boat out of a block of wood is just insane. It’s sharp for God’s sake and requires a level of coordination I don’t have today. I still remember the panicked feeling as I desperately tried to saw in a straight line. Didn’t happen. And then hammer in the sail mast thingy. Mine was a mess.

You’d think it would be enough to put me off tools forever. But no. I own a dremel tool, a band saw, a power drill and, oh yes, a hammer.

Back to the hammer. I love it. But it takes multiple holes to get the 1 or 2 I wanted in the first place. Happens even when I measure. Especially when I measure. So now I can never move because of the many, many holes that hid behind pretty decorations.

Speaking of which, how cool is this idea …

Take a frame you love … a vintage, thrifted one is best … and just hang it on the wall. You can put a smaller picture (framed) inside it if you like. Got the idea from Donna. I told you she’s brilliant. Of course, she says it’s an old idea, shown many times in decorating magazines. I don’t believe it. I’m giving her credit.

And did you notice, I’ve said “cool” at least three times in this post? Can’t wait to get the HP Top 10 of hip sayings, so I can freshen my vocabulary.

Introducing Hannah Banana

One day, two posts. How’s that for snappy? Had to do two because this announcement calls for its very own post. As I just finished talking about moments ago, we visited the Bs last weekend. The Bs have three girls … the H girls … who are 13, 11 and 6. Thanks to the eldest H, I found out that “cool” is no longer cool. And that people of a certain age, who are ever so fond of saying cool, are just so not. And that got me to thinking. How is one to stay hip if one is not part of the teenage scene?

Never fear, dear readers! We will soon be in the know. I’m honored to announce the HB Top 10. Every now and then (and I’m hoping quite often as I am in desperate need of hip tips … oh dear, what if “hip” isn’t cool to say?), the one and only Hannah Bannah will report in from the teen scene with a top 10 list. Top 10 favorite books. Top 10 best songs. Top 10 ways to annoy your parents. Top 10 movies to rent. Top 10 ways to get your mom to take you to your favorite shops. You get the idea.

Welcome Miss Hannah! I’m awfully glad you’re here.

Mochas, mini grilled cheese and magic muffins

K and I got to spend last weekend with the B family; good friends who live about 70 miles of our bucolic town. It was a birthday party mixed with good food and visiting wrapped up in Bed & Breakfast comfort. The Bs and I have been friends for years, meeting in a life before children and grown-up furniture. Now, as then, they are an endless source of inspiration and joy. I always feel so good when I’m there.

First, we’re completely spoiled. Fresh-cut flowers in the guest room and mochas for breakfast.

There are always decorating ideas to borrow and new recipes to try. Have you ever made a mini grilled cheese? Slice a baguette, butter each piece. Layer thin slices of cheese in between two slices. Put on griddle or pan and cook on stovetop until brown and toasty. So yummy!

And did you know that every box of Malt-o-Meal comes with the recipe for Magic Muffins? But the real magic is a Donna trick … put chocolate chips on the top!

Spending time with Donna, watching her effortlessly mother her three girls while juggling 50 other things rubs off on me; I return home calmer and more patient.

Create a thing month

Don’t you hate when you’re blog-visiting and the same post you read a week ago is still there? You wonder, where the heck is she/he? Don’t they know we want to read something new? Hello! And yet here I am … with the week ahead now the week past. Many exciting updates to come tomorrow. Today, many deadlines and a sick child.

To thank you for your patience and motivate a return visit, let me leave you with this news … February is create-a-thing-a-day month. You create one thing (any kind of creative thing) every day based on a weekly theme, which you get to choose. Work in any medium and then post your work. Every. Day. Don’t you just want to do that? Wouldn’t it be fun? ‘Course you’d have to be sure time wasn’t going to disappear on you!

Color me happy

As much as I adore holiday decorating, I find the clean slate of early January equally appealing. I look forward to the post-holiday work of packing away, tossing out and rearranging. But by the end of January, when everything is feeling a little dull and bleak, I find myself impatient for Spring. I’m craving the farmers market and floaty skirts, windows open wide and fresh flowers everywhere.

So while I wait for Earth to turn closer to the Sun, I add color inside. A trip to Target and $5 resulted in a fat stack of colorful washcloths that look oh so cheerful:

And this little guy who perches on the bed.

And ribbons on the shelf.

And I think it’s time for the sea shells to come back out. Off I go to unearth them from their winter hiding place.

Mail call

It’s Tuesday. 3:15. An hour and a quarter from the new Tiny Showcase release. I can’t possibly be expected to work on client projects with that kind of distraction. So let me tell you about today’s mail just delivered by my friendly postal worker. I love getting the mail. It’s so hopeful. Every day a moment of huge possibility. Don’t really like Sundays and holidays because there is no mail. Ha!

The mailman stops by my cottage and brings the mail to the porch. I hear the box click shut, and see him drive to the next house (my office windows look out to the street … very handy for spying). But I can’t go get the mail yet. I don’t want to seem too eager. So I wait until he moves on to the next house where he can’t see me pop out and grab the goodies he’s left. The days with all bills and grocery flyers leave me deflated. The days with packages make me giddy all afternoon. Today was a middle day … a couple of magazines along with the assorted pleas in catalog form to buy things I neither want or need. But my favorite by far is the postcard from the 1-800-got-junk guys. It’s addressed to “Pamela, Pamela” instead of Pamela Kim. This despite the fact that I’m a regular customer. Made me laugh so hard I had to tell Sage I’d call her back after I calmed down!

Now it’s 1 hour and 10 minutes until the new Tiny Showcase release happens. A good use of 5 minutes don’t ya think?

* Edited * Now it’s 20 minutes past the release date and not quite as exciting as I’d hoped. Love the fact that the piece is letterpress. The cartoon? Not so much. Not my thing. But that’s OK. Next Tuesday will come soon enough, just like tomorrow’s mail.

Tiny Showcase

Have you heard about Tiny Showcase? It’s a super cool art site where a new piece of tiny artwork is selected and offered for sale each week. The digital artwork reproduction braintrust at io labs, inc. in Providence, Rhode Island then takes that masterpiece and turns it into a limited-run print production. Each run is printed on 310gsm acid-free Hahnemühle German Etching Paper. It’s UltraChrome ink is specially treated and sprayed, giving it an archival lifespan of over 60 years.

My friend Lauri bought me a set of bird prints for Christmas. They are amazing! As soon as they’re framed, I’ll post ‘em here.

And what’s even better is that Tiny Showcase’s pricing is structured so a percentage of the money from each print sold is donated to a charity chosen by the artist. This raises the print price slightly, but now the artist, as well as their favorite charity, benefit from each piece sold.

You can sign up for the weekly email, so you can see each offering the minute it goes up for sale. Scroll down on the home page and you’ll see the sign-up option. Lauri says each selection sells out fast, so you want to get on that list. I can’t wait for tomorrow to see what they select. Luckily, I have plenty of wall space … pretty sure I’m going to need it!

Betty Crocker with a twist

Did you know that this week is national slow down week? I didn’t. Found out about it yesterday on Keri Smith’s blog. And boy do I need to slow down. My usually meticulous memory has been failing me. I’m losing things. I never lose things. Making myself crazy. I decided it must be because I’m moving too fast, doing too many things at once. I prefer that reason to the many possible medical things that could go wrong with my brain. So anyway …

I slowed down today by starting early. Stay with me … it will all start to make sense.

Our mornings here are usually a mad dash. We sleep a bit too long, rush around getting dressed, making lunches, finding the library books and barely screech in to the school parking lot before the bell rings. It’s no wonder that by the time I sit down at my desk around 9 a.m., I already feel like I’ve logged in an entire day.

So today … I got up 30 minutes early. Made the coffee. And then made my favorite applesauce muffins. It’s an old recipe — my mom used to make these for us — but I recently rediscovered it on Alicia’s blog. My six-year-old isn’t quite as enamored of these treats as I am. Claims they’re a bit dry. So I decided to tinker. I added a layer of jam between the muffin batter. Baked the same amount of time. And wow. Just try to eat one! (see recipe after photo)

We sat in the morning sun with muffins and melon, all cozy in a kitchen filled with the smell of cinnamon, jam and apples. Now that’s the way to start a morning. I’m all for this slow down week. I think I’ll make mine a month!

Make yourself a batch …

Betty Crocker Applesauce Muffins with a Sparkly Twist
preheat oven to 400 degrees

2 cups Bisquick
1/4 sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce
1 slightly beaten egg
2 tbls vegetable oil
jam of your choice

Topping: melted butter & cinnamon sugar

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (easy clean-up!). In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg slightly. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Put one spoon of batter (to about the half-way mark on the liner) in each cupcake liner. Add a small spoonful of jam. Top each muffin with a bit more batter — just divide what you have left. Back 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly. Brush with melted butter and top with cinnamon sugar (if you like).

By the way, the original recipe says it makes 12 muffins. I only get 8. I’d say to plan for 8 if you’re adding the jam. Enjoy!

All dressed up and ready to go

Check out the new blog banner. I’m so excited I can barely sit down long enough to tell you about it. A long time ago, I met a girl named Tina through my dear friend Sage. Tina is a fine artist whose range is unbelievable and gorgeous. I hadn’t seen or talked with Tina for years … enough time for us both to have children, me to get unmarried and for more than a few gray hairs to pop out. But I knew she was the person to bring Studio PK to life. Just a short catch-up chat was all this amazing woman needed to capture who I am and what I love to do. That’s me in caricature form right down to the scissors in hand, dangling earrings and huge smile. Check out more of Tina’s work here. You’re sure to be inspired. Thanks Tina! You rock!!

Posie love

Look what came in the mail on Saturday …

I have never been so excited about an order ever! It came from Posie, one of my most favorite artists. The packaging was so amazing, I had to take a picture before I could open it. And now my new treasures are lighting up corners of my house, and I smile every time I walk by.

The light isn’t great on this one. The bag is much mintier green. Very delish! And my walls are definitely not mustard … more custard.

Do you need a treat? Go buy yourself a little something. Then get inspired at Alicia’s blog. This gal rocks!