The Upstart Crow

The Upstart Crow is a creative scholarship project, and it's my new favorite thing. A dear friend of ours, Micah Coston, has been accepted for doctoral research in English and Shakespeare Studies at some of the oldest and best universities in the world (Oxford, Cambridge, and The Shakespeare Institute). But the cost to attend is staggering, so he's using creativity to beat the odds. A group of friends, including Cory and I, have joined together to create The Upstart Crow to help raise the funds.

Check out this video to learn more about the project:
(Art & Animation by Cory, Cinematography by J. Aaron Greene, Music by Micah Coston)

Please visit The Upstart Crow to learn more and to donate.

Also, please pass the video on. Every little bit helps!

Lucite Cake Platter

My sweet husband gave me this gorgeous vintage lucite cake platter, and I love it. This will be a piece that I treasure for always. I'm already envisioning the many cakes that will sit on it proudly!

P.S. The one pictured above is actually still available, and offered by High Street Market. I'm just too lazy to take my own photo, and it is identical. I haven't found any other ones like this online, so somebody better snatch it up!

Favorite Personal Blogs

Mollie Greene writes about her family, her work, and the passing of time. She makes everything sound fascinating.

Annamaria Horner isn't someone I know personally, but I've been reading her blog so long, I feel like I do. She writes about her gorgeous fabric and her delicious children.

Wishful Thinking is by sweet Christin, and she posts about her projects and things that inspire her.

Fresh Salsa

During the summer, fresh salsa is a staple in our house. It's practically it's own food group. Nothing beats picking tomatoes, peppers, and onions from the garden, and chopping them up while they are still warm from the sun. This simple recipe is from my mom, and it becomes a fast favorite of everyone who gets a taste.

Fresh Salsa

4 c. diced tomatoes
1/2 c. diced onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1-4 jalapenos, minced
1 T. olive oil
1 T. vinegar
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt

Drain juices off tomatoes, place in medium-sized bowl. Add onions and garlic. For the jalapenos, add them in small amounts until you reach the desired level of spiciness (start small and remove the seeds if you prefer things on the milder side). Add oil, vinegar, cumin, and salt. Stir well to combine. Taste, and adjust seasonings and peppers as needed. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated.

Notes:
- I normally use purple onion because it's pretty (I ran out when I made the batch I photographed)
- Be careful with the jalapenos! They are tricky because they often vary greatly with their level of spiciness. I usually start with one, and add more if necessary. The last few I've used have been extremely potent... only needing about a half of a pepper to reach the right level of spicy for me. Other times I've needed the full 4 peppers.
- Add whatever else you feel like! This time I threw in some sweet banana pepper and some green pepper (more for color, I was only using a tiny bit of jalapeno, so I needed more green).
-  When taste-testing, use a tortilla chip. This will help you correctly gauge the overall saltiness.
- This recipe is not suitable for canning, it doesn't have enough acidity to preserve correctly.
- When in doubt, make a double batch! I almost always do.

I am not a kitchen gadget person. I don't even use a garlic press (my mini food processor is way easier and just as simple to clean). They take up too much room in my already cramped kitchen, are one more thing to wash, and often make a task more complicated. But for making fresh salsa, there is one gadget I've made room for: The Vidalia Chop Wizard.

I know what you're thinking, another one of those silly as-seen-on-tv products. Well, this one actually works. My mom uses it for making salsa, and gave me one too so my life could be easier. All I have to do is cut my tomatoes and onions in half, place them on the cutter, press down, and presto! Perfect little chunks. It comes with 2 cutting screens, one for dices and one for minces. It does take a little muscle power to cut through tougher items like onion, but nothing difficult. With all the salsa I make, this little guy will probably save me about 3000 hours in my lifetime. Not bad for one easy payment of $19.95!

I realize this sounds like a paid advertisement. I assure you it is not, just a plug for a good product.

Happy salsa making!

Pioneer Woman

I was able to go to one of Pioneer Woman's recent book signings in Charlotte, NC. What a blast! Ree is even more sweet and lovely than I had imagined, and getting to meet her was a real treat.

Her fans love her, that's for sure. I drove over 2 hours to see her, but many others had gotten there far earlier than I to wait in line, some had even taken the day off of work. And so many people brought her presents! You'll notice my gift to her on the table in the first picture. I made some goodies for her and her punks from my shop: a ring, necklace, earring, and hair pins. I even made Ree a pair of dangly vintage earrings that had pictures of Charlie under glass. I was so busy making and packaging up these delights that I neglected to take pictures of them, and I'm kicking myself for it now.

I was able to get in to see her as soon as we got there, thanks to my VIP tickets. After saying hello and getting my book signed, a friend and I stayed to have dinner in the store's restaurant. 3 hours later, after a leisurely meal and looking around some, we headed out. And Ree was still going strong! I took a peek at her and the large group still patiently waiting, and she was just as kind and bubbly as when I met her hours before.

In case you are unfamiliar with Pioneer Woman, get yourself over to her website and start drooling.

Vignettes, Final

So here is our Expedit in all of it's glory. I'm very happy with this arrangement of the vignettes, but I will probably get bored with them in a year or so and rearrange. My previous design had a lot more brown and yellow, I think the use of more white this time around has helped it to be visually lighter.

 The display on top I redesign more often, usually at least once a season. Right now I have it set for summer. The garland was made by my sister Julia, the ivory partridges are from a funny antique store in Ohio, and the birdcages from my local antique haunts. I want about 10 more birdcages, all in different shades of white. Wouldn't they look marvelous, all lined up in a pretty row?

My Deer

I found this vase at my favorite antique store over a year ago, and fell in love with it's kitsch-y charm. However, the price tag was not to my liking (kitsch-y as it is, it is also rare and high-quality), so I contented myself to visit the vase off and on. Apparently, no one else was so taken with this unusual specimen, so the price was gradually reduced. But I still held out, and even as the store was in the final weeks of it's store closing sale, I did not waver on my price point. (I point this out only because I don't usually exhibit such strong resolve) I didn't end up taking home the vase until the day of the actual store closing, for a mere one-fifth of the original price.

It has a happy home for now on my bookshelf, but I envision it someday on a white marble mantel, with other aqua treasures to keep it company.