Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my dad and all the other daddies and boompahs out there too! Wishing you a day filled with all the people and things that you love.

Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven

(The photos are from a cookbook my grandmother owned, "Any one can Bake", published in 1927.)

Darling Charlotte of House Wren Studio has a charming post today about baking and kindness. (and chocolate) All I can think of is baking something now!

I had already planned to make a gooseberry pie for my father for Father's Day - his mom always made gooseberry pies for us. Grandma would come over to our house every Sunday night for dinner and she would bring homemade dessert, an appetizer or sometimes even the entree (she made a Chinese dish I've never been able to find a recipe for).

I think I will make these chocolate chip cookies.

I made them when I first saw the recipe and it was a love match. Finally a recipe with enough chocolate for me. Yippie! And I sprinkled sea salt on top. YUM!

Have you noticed ...

... the gentle footfalls of dainty feet, the rustle of petticoats and beribboned bodices floating by on the internet? The crafty angels have been busy delighting us with their artwork and all things Marie ... there have been zines, a magazine and countless swaps. Some of the participants work may be seen at the blogs below, more to be added ... when I recover from swooning ...

Pam Garrison
Amy Hanna
Jeanne Szewczyk
Sandra Evertson
Natasha Burns

edited to add: please see additional links in right side bar under "Marie Marie Marie" for more Marie Antoinette artwork.

Mish mash

See the little tow-headed boy on the right? He belongs with the little blondie girl in my banner. That's my dad with two of his brothers.


Well I'm all confuddled and confoozzled. I'm having a hard time today thinking of anything to write. ARGH. So I guess it's stream of consciousness time teehee.

hmmmm...

Enjoying that: True Blood is back WAHOO!
Looking forward to: next episode of Top Chef Masters tomorrow
Anxious about: Euna Lee and Laura Ling
Praying that: there will be no more loss of life or injuries to protesters in Iran, that the truth will be revealed.
Wishing that: Inspiration would strike for a Father's Day gift for my dad
Wanting to: see the movie "Food Inc."
Counting the days until: Harry Potter
Celebrating that: the city of Ghent, Belgium has created Meatless Thursdays (not compulsory of course, but suggested)
Wondering what: is for dinner tonight???

Owney the Postal Dog

I came across a snail mail letter writing blog last week, which in turn linked to more letter writing related blogs. I noticed on one of the links listed this charming story of Owney the Postal Dog.

Postcards of Owney in the Smithsonian collection

National Postal Museum on Owney


I don't know about you but I sure miss snail mail!

Some delicious links for you:


365 Letters
A Passion for Letter Writing
LetterLover
Letter Writers Alliance
Mail Art Postcard Exhibition
Postcrossing
Post Letters!
The Missive Maven
Viva Snail Mail

Japanese Craft books on Etsy

I listed this yummy Japanese craft book in my Etsy store today and lowered a couple of prices on two I already had listed - the three are featured items currently in my store. Beautiful beautiful books in brand new condition, with patterns in pristine, never used condition intact inside. Although they are in Japanese, if you are a seasoned sewer, you will be able to follow along and understand the diagrams just as though they are in English.

I bought these with my eyes being bigger than my sewing talent. YIKES. I'd love to see them in the hands of someone who'd actually use them - unlike me, who can only drool over them and dream.

for the love of funghi and etsy update

I love all things mushroom-y and gnome-y, don't you?

I've listed some shroom stamps in my Etsy shop - I think they'd be fun for handmade invitations to a woodland themed party. But then you could only have seven woodsy friends come to your party and certainly there are more appreciators of the funghi out there than a mere seven?! Perhaps then for a mushroom recipe card exchange?

Shroom sightings to delight and inspire:

@ My little Mochi

@ LucyKate Crafts

@ The Little House By The Sea

@ Purl Bee

@ Posh Plushies

@ knick knacks & ric rac

@ Posh Plushies

@ One Red Robin

@ Martha Stewart

@ Calamity Kim

@ maya made

@ Badbirds

Saturday fun

We went to Clementine for breakfast YUM - sat outside and enjoyed our quiches and scrambles. Dear Other Half had a hair appointment, so then we did that and then went to a yard sale I had been looking forward to. SCORE! I got a darling beat up old Holly Hobbie lunch pail and a Spode Christmas Tree gravy boat. Happy dance!

I could kick myself, I used to have, I think a McCall's embroidery pattern, of the same Holly Hobbie graphic that is on the pail. I must have thrown it out (years ago when I was a pinhead & did not appreciate/comprehend the wonderfulness of HH). WAH! Thankfully I still have my Holly Hobbie book and a collectors plate - I had the presence of mind to keep those ... knock on empty head.

We went by another yard sale but we were too late (or they didn't have it after all) as there wasn't any sign of it. Got to be an early bird, don't you!

& then we picked up lunch from Chin Chin and whisper dessert from Susie Cakes and went home and just vegged out with the previous evenings Bill Moyers and Bill Maher on the DVR - great to see Jeremy Scahill on both shows. We read our books and dozed off in the afternoon and snoozed contentedly, like the old fossils we are.

They speak my name

Ay yi yi. Trying so hard to not spend money. But how could I resist these goodies today at the bookstore ... calling my name, tempting me with crafty goodness and cupcakes?!

You might want to hold your nose for this post

Official press story: Britain's smelliest cheese is named

Smells like a teenage boys bedroom, too funny!

Back at The Pie Hole ...

Finally! We get to see the final episodes of our beloved Pushing Daisies! Sniffle sniffle only two more to come. SOB. What the heck is up with ABC?! They cancel everything that's good, the dunderheads.