little green jacket

on planting

I think this one's not quite done yet, but I do enjoy watching

these things develop. So here it is.

glorious mess

...as in, "I made one today!"

Most of this week was spent juggling half days at school, along with the coinciding 

parent teacher conferences, as well as preparing for one (successful) nine-year-old

birthday celebration. Today, however, I pulled out my paints and worked up a bunch

of backgrounds for upcoming art journaling projects. This idea was inspired by a

Pam Carriker article in the July/August 2008 issue of cloth, paper, scissors magazine. 

 It's been a long time since I painted or did any visual journaling at all.

I think this is in part due to transitions I've been making in my life -- 

it feels a bit like a kind of hibernation. But I think it's also related to 

learning how to work again now that I actually have a space to work in.

All of my former artistic ventures were based on creating portable 

systems to work with. I find that I don't have effective systems for 

painting in the current setting, where everything is in reach. Strange, but true!

little tents

We went up the mountain for a birthday party today, 

and this pair of tents caught my eye.
The weather was beautiful and the people were mellow.
Elliott even discovered a tiny streamlet nearby.
We had a great time!

fun thrift shop find

 

I found this wonderful little case last week at a thrift shop for only

three dollars!! It's full of slide carriers that fit the beautiful,

cast-iron slide projector from my childhood. Also, without the slides, 

it fits pattern envelopes perfectly for the cutest pattern storage ever!

camouflage decor

We cleaned out Elliott's closet and reorganized his room on Saturday.

While the husband sorted tiny objects into random containers, I 

grabbed a piece of camouflage fabric that had been roaming about

for a while and turned it into this cutie little pennant banner. 

I took pictures along the way, so hopefully I'll get a tutorial up soon

on how to do it. Very simple and festive!

ironing bliss

As a way of helping me kick off my new business, my parents gave me this amazing iron
as an early birthday gift. The base is a steam generator, which holds about two cups of water.
It has a trigger and a setting for constant steam so you don't have to hold it down all the time.
Also, the iron and the steam generator have separate controls, so it's possible to have one
on without the other: great for working with fancy fabrics (no water spots, please)
or for producing steam w/o heat (curtains, here I come!). 

What I'm loving most about it is that it works. 

Our previous iron would get hot, but leaked like 

crazy if filled with water. Also, being cordless, it

had to be recharged regularly in the middle of any

ironing project. This one just presses on, so to speak.

The more I read about sewing, the more I discover the importance of good and constant
ironing. So this is a splendid gift for the start of all the sewing that's to come. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

birthday cookies: the final product

Here's what came of all the cookie testing.

I decided to use a modified royal icing once I realized

that it wasn't the food poisoning that scared me -- I

just hate the idea of eating raw egg whites in any form!

I could, of course, get over this whole aversion if the

icing tasted amazing. But it didn't. So I moved on.

Here's the icing recipe I ended up using:

• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp corn syrup
• 1 squeeze fresh lime
• 1 tsp vanilla (leave out for white icing... or use brandy)
• half & half  [added gradually to correct consistency]
• gel paste food coloring*

[Note: My favorite sugar cookie recipe thus far is Martha Stewart's Ideal Sugar Cookies
using brandy rather than milk, rolled out to 1/4" instead of 1/8" and baked 12 minutes, just
until any edge turns golden.]

This piped on well, flooded great, and tasted fine.

Also didn't get as crunchy as the real royal icing,

which was nice. Yesterday's reviews were lots of

thumbs-up. Now to face the hardcore critics --

the kindergarteners! Anyway, Happy Birthday,

my little buddy. I love you!

*As I mentioned last year, icing can be colored

naturally, with turmeric (yellow) or berry juice

(pink or purple). There's also a natural line of

food coloring that's available. Haven't found it

locally, though, and it's pricey online.

at a crossroads

This week my youngest child started kindergarten, and for the first time in nine years,
I'm home without kids for several hours a day. I started reading  
Finding Our Way Again, by Brian McLaren, last week.
I walked by it yesterday and noticed the quote on the back cover:

"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls."
Jeremiah 6:16

I find that is exactly what I want to do as I head into this new phase. I am taking
this week to not start into new things. Trying to stop and listen, to consider the
next leg of the journey. I hope to make the most of the time that is opening up.
I want to use it wisely and lovingly, and also to fully enjoy it!

royal icing test run

I can't recall what I used for icing last time around on the ol'

sugar cookies. I gave royal icing a spin today, though, as it's

well known for setting up to a lovely finish.The reason I 

hadn't made it before is that it is based on raw egg whites. 

While whites are not the worrisome part of the egg as far as 

salmonella goes (salmonella thrives on yolk), I feel uncomfortable 

with it for mere lack of experience. But I gave it a try. 

It is the "industry standard" for cookie icing, after all.

I have tried the meringue powder version in the past, and it works
well enough. But doesn't turn out as shiny or smooth as the real thing.

I found the royal icing to be easy to color and pipe. It set to a
nice shine and tastes great. At first it had a distinctly eggy smell,
but that seems to have cleared now that the icing has dried.
Honestly, I still feel a bit dubious about the whole raw egg bit.
I mean, am I just being paranoid?
People use this stuff all the time, right?!?

Maybe I'll just see if I can find some pasteurized egg whites in town.