May Day!!

Arizona blossoms
Happy May Day, friends!

For the Sweet

First, I want to apologize for the spotty appearances here lately - it seems that working full time with a 40 minute commute is more of an adjustment than I had anticipated, and these days when I get home I mainly want to do nothing. That said, there are a few projects in the works. But more on those another day, today I want to share these...




I had planned to wait and post them as a Valentine's greeting to you all, but this post inspired me to share ahead of time, with the idea that you can then share as well!

Click below or on the images for 8.5"x11" sheets with two copies of the card each (minus the red border, thats just for you), inside and outside. You will have to flip the first page around and re-feed it through the printer (unless you have one of the fancy auto-double-sided deals!). I recommend printing on white card stock, but suit yourself! FYI, I did some at Kinkos, and the colors they produced were just loverly.

Valentine Card Outside
Valentine Card Inside

Fun with Food

Potato prints! I had not made any potato prints for ages and ages, but was inspired by needing a project for two young boys to whom I teach art. So I broke out the potatoes and the exacto knife and set about making a prototype.

It was fun. Why do I not do this more often? So easy, so necessarily simple, so satisfying.

In a Holiday theme, I cut out a steaming mug (of cocoa I presume) and a snowflake, and printed in red block printing ink. After a few tests, I recalled the big package of white tissue I had recently acquired. Soon a sheet was covered in cheerful red snowflakes and I was determined to hand-make all my wrapping paper for the year!



As it turns out, I had many other things to take up my time, and after a little more fun with potatoes and ink during the boys class, no more printing took place. And so I had one sheet of precious handprinted tissue, which was promptly used and now sorely missed.

Perhaps I will have to make Spring tissue paper!

On snow and gingerbread

Vermont will certainly be having a white Christmas this year! We had an absurd amount of snow in the last 24 hours, well over a foot, possibly more than 2! And it's still coming down! Of course, I won't be enjoying it, as I am headed to the family in Arizona... not much chance of a blizzard there and frankly, I don't mind!

We stayed warm and cozy inside today, making a big batch of gingerbread. Yum.


We used a Martha Stewart recipe, only we couldn't bring ourselves to add a whole teaspoon of ground pepper. I am willing to believe that it is a wonderful addition, I'm just not in that place yet.


A simple powdered sugar frosting, and a few little candies added the final touch.



I also made a batch of incredibly wonderful molasses cookies from a long ago post on this favorite blog. So good. I had to freeze some so I would not "accidentally" eat them all tonight.

I hope wherever you are, the evening is treating you well. Happy Sunday, friends!

Advent for you!

I made an online advent calendar especially for you! Each day links to something I found fun or pretty or full of the Holiday Spirit; and something extra special will appear for the Christmas Day link, I just have to figure out what that will be...

We are looking forward to a Very Big Storm around here. Hope you are staying warm!

Feeling Christmas-y

It snowed big, white, fluffy flakes last night. We had to take a middle-of-the-night walk with the dog, and it was her first real snow experience. Very amusing. She just couldn't seem to believe that it was all real!

While I find the early and intense commercialization of Christmas to be quite bothersome and actually somewhat sickening, after Thanksgiving is passed, I am ready to jump right in. Things like soft powdery snow and twinkling lights make me feel honest-to-goodness warm and fuzzy, and the smell of gingerbread always seems just tantalizingly out of reach. I will make some soon, and hopefully share the joy with a few neighbors, but for the time being I have contented myself with some holiday decoration.


Besides my sparkly candelier, a Christmas tree of sorts is now sharing its warm glow in my home. A real, live, green, nice-smelling tree isn't really practical for me yet - I will travel for Christmas and don't spend nearly enough time sitting at home to properly enjoy it - so I opted for driftwood. White lights and golden jingle-bells dress it up right now - after the swap I have a feeling it will be much more fun! It needs a bit of adjusting, another trip to the rock shop (aka beach) should put things in order.

***after having a look at this picture again, I just have to add that my poor little tree really looks much nicer in person. The lights should have been the kind on white wire, I know, and the whole thing looks rather as if it will go tumbling over at any moment, but its actually very sweet! :) ***