Campestral

Spring Fever, With a Side of Cabin Fever

2012-03-06T08:15:00.000-05:00

It's a bad case. I want spring so badly I can taste it. I want to have the windows open and have the smell of grass and flowers blow in on a warm breeze. I want to plant my seeds in the garden and watch them come up. I want to sit outside in the morning with my coffee and let emmett play in the hose. And I want to take a cocktail out to the garden in the evening to pick vegetables for dinner.

These pictures are of course from last summer, and I am torturing myself a little looking through them. Because what we really have right now, and will have for another four weeks at least, is this:

As much as I love our house and our wood stove, I'm ready for a change. Really ready. And after a very mild winter of almost no snow we are now buried under a foot of icy snow, with no grass anywhere, and it is 5 degrees outside. March is the worst. Sigh.

Road & Rail

2012-03-05T08:24:00.000-05:00

Building an elaborate road and rail system is our current morning ritual. It is very possible that I enjoy this more than Emmett, and sometimes we fight about where to put the various pieces.

Studio Sneak Peek - Works on Paper, Paper Conservation

2012-03-01T10:40:00.001-05:00

The other day my friend Carolyn asked me to come in and take some photographs of her at work to be used to help explain to people what she does. As a paper conservator, her job is pretty unusual, and not something that most people know a lot about, but it is so interesting that she is constantly fielding questions. So she is building some informational panels to hang in her studio to help people get a sense of what she does. I had a great time getting to see some of the many the beautiful projects she is working on, as well as getting a better understanding of the various processes she uses. Below is a little insert of in-painting, cleaning, tape-removal, and tear-mending. And then a little further below you can see a butterfly print being pulled out of a bath, and a print being humidified in a plastic tub covered with plexiglass.

If you want to get more information about Carolyn and what she does at Works on Paper, please click here. I really enjoyed my little peak into Carolyn's studio, and some of the interesting work she does there. And I think it is so cool that she has been able to make a successful business out of it in rural Vermont. I am always so interested to find out how people make a go of it up here, where there is really very little industry to participate in, and few 9-5 jobs to be had. Thanks so much for the fascinating tour Carolyn!

Cheers!

2012-02-26T17:43:00.003-05:00

It's summer somewhere, right? Some nights I just can't resist the call of a gin and tonic.

Turning the Tide

2012-02-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! So sorry for the extended absence! Things have been a mile a minute here for the last couple of weeks. Since I last posted I finished prepping for my wholesale show in Philly and we made our trip there and back, which was just under a week. It was a great trip, but since I knew I was going to be stuck in my booth all day with nothing to photograph I didn't even bring my camera. We stayed with my sister who lives just outside Philadelphia in a really cool old house with lots of quirky and appealing little spaces, so now I am kicking myself for not having my camera, but since the car was literally so packed that we had to jettison things from the packing list at the last minute I guess it was for the best. I could have done a post on packing the car alone. The baby was crying, the dog was freaking out, TH was tearing his hair out, it was awesome. So in the end I ended up with no chair for my booth, no hand-truck, and no camera. And then shortly after our return on Tuesday the child came down with some kind of puking sickness, which literally has kept our hands full, and not in a nice way. Fingers crossed, but today we are looking to be getting a little bit back to normal.

Amidst all the chaos we have been making a serious effort to eat healthier, and reverse the effects of a very rich food filled holiday season. It is especially hard to start a healthy eating regime in the winter too, when what you really feel like eating is mac and cheese, and baked potatoes. But after the first week or so of stumbling around with only sort of yummy food, we have found our groove. And now I really look forward to dinner every night, since we have been trying all new recipes with a renewed focus on healthy as well as delicious. Which with the right resources, turns out to be not that hard! Our two favorite new books are Everyday Food Light, from Martha Stewart, and The Very Best of Recipes for Health, a compilation of recipes from Martha Rose Shulman's NY Times column. I have found that if you start with a whole book or two of healthy, low-ish calorie options it really isn't hard to find something appealing. What gets tiresome is searching through our regular resources and trying to first figure out which ones are the healthier options, and then deciding what to make. Starting with healthy cookbooks takes out a whole step, and a lot of the brain work.

Also, we have been meal planning ahead, which keeps the cost down on groceries since we can just make one big trip a week to get what we need from the bigger, cheaper grocery store. Also keeping a fridge stocked with healthy options for meals and snacks takes away the temptation of less healthy options. Often, due to laziness and disorganization we would turn to frozen pizza or other processed, ready to eat meals, which just end up being full of empty calories.

Lunches can be hard during the work day when I don't want to take a long time to prepare and then eat a meal. We've tried smoothies, with some success. TH enjoys them more than I do. They tend to make my stomach hurt a little, not sure if it is from the cold acidic liquid, or the raw fruits and vegetables. I've been eating a lot of chicken bouillon with various additions and flavors, and salads. I was able to get some smoked trout at our food coop, and that with a salad was a delicious lean protein lunch. Or a small tuna sandwich always tastes good to me, although that is the last thing TH would eat.

All in all I guess I have figured out that eating healthy has more to do with time, planning and organization, and less to do with suffering and sacrifice, which is a really great, since I'm not so good at self-deprivation ;) I'm looking forward to going into spring feeling good in my clothes, healthy, and ready for outside activities!

Adventures in Breakfast

2012-02-14T06:28:00.001-05:00

Here you go Mom. This one's for you. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Middle Eastern Feast

2012-02-13T09:44:00.000-05:00

We went out for dinner last night to our friends Garet and Carolyn's house for a delicious collaborative middle eastern feast. Tate and Sara, two of the owners of our fantastic local wine and beer shop Meditrina, were there as well, and brought a delicious mixed grain with lentils and quinoa, shaved cauliflower and loads of other tasty ingredients. Our part of the feast was the two dips at the top, a homemade hummus with lemon and tahini, and a roasted eggplant dip with garlic, mint and yogurt. G&C provided the rest. The salad was a beautiful composition of feta, endive, julienned apple, grapes and some other things which I forget. And the main meat dish was a gorgeous braised lamb shoulder, which I intend to get the recipe for and try myself. Best lamb I've had in ages. All of a sudden I am a braising convert. Maybe it is the cold weather.

We left Emmett at our friends Mike and Cheryl's house while we were out, and when we went back there to pick him up he was sound asleep with them on the couch in front of the Grammys. He just lay there and snuggled with them until he fell asleep. And here we were, under the impression that the only way to get him to fall asleep was in a dark, quiet room, alone in his crib. Amazing what other people can get your children to do, isn't it?

Personalized Initial Tree Valentines

2012-02-02T11:23:00.002-05:00

Did you guys see the personalized valentine that I am offering in the Fiddleheads shop? There's still time to order one before V-day! Go on, carve your initials in a tree with your honey. And then if you are still feeling sentimental you can pop it into a 5x7 frame and hold onto it as a keepsake for your grandchildren to say awwwwww over.

Woodpecker

2012-02-01T07:53:00.002-05:00

We woke up this morning with this funny little Downey Woodpecker hogging all the snacks on our birdseed wreath. I had to take the 1st picture through the window, sorry it is a little fuzzy.

Jewelry Swap with Odette NY

2012-01-30T08:41:00.000-05:00

One of the most fun and restorative things about going back to NYC for me is getting together with my jeweler friends. I miss talking and gossiping about what's going on in the indie jewelry world, and compare notes about suppliers and shops and blogs. There are a lot of lovely things about living in Vermont, but it is easy to become pretty isolated, and it is so nice to reconnect.
Last time I was in New York Jennifer from Odette New York, Debbie from Debbie Fisher and I had a luxuriously leisurely lunch at the Roebling Tea Room, and Jennifer and I arranged a trade: an Arrow Cuff Bracelet of Jennifer's for my Bent Perch Cuff. Happily my half of the trade arrived on Saturday! I have been wearing it ever since. Thanks Jennifer, I love it!

Around the Studio

2012-01-26T10:49:00.001-05:00

Things have been busy around here, what with getting orders out for Valentine's day, putting together a new line for the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft which is in about 3 weeks (eeeeek!), trying to take some good jewelry photos in this god-forsaken cloud covered tundra I live in. . . you get the idea. So that's what is up with me. Here are some shots from around the studio this week, including this morning's computer-side breakfast of a fried egg on toast with guacamole.

Open Hearted Love Bracelet: Limited Edition For Valentine's Day

2012-01-24T11:31:00.000-05:00

Available now through Valentines Day. Click here for details.

An Ode to Caputo's

2012-01-23T07:40:00.000-05:00

Of all of the things I miss about Brooklyn, Caputo's Italian Market is definitely in my top 10. And it was conveniently only three blocks from our old place, so it was close enough to just go grab a sandwich. Located on Court St. between 3rd and 4th Streets, Caputo's is right in the heart of Carroll Gardens, and is a bit of a throwback to another time. It is still a family business, with the mothers and grandmothers working in the kitchen in the back, marinating mushrooms and artichoke hearts, making fresh mozzarella, and cooking up huge batches of delicious pasta sauces and fresh pastas. Yet unlike a lot of old local businesses they have managed to adapt to the changing demographic of the neighborhood, welcome in all the new young families that have moved into Carroll Gardens, and are now busier than ever with old customers and new. I felt like I practically bought the store last time I was down there, but I am now kicking myself for all the things I didn't buy. Oh well, next time! And in case you are wondering, in the bag was a mozzarella and tomato sandwich with homemade pesto on fresh ciabatta. And even at this time of year, with out of season tomatoes, it was incredible.

My Favorite New Winter Accessory

2012-01-20T13:55:00.003-05:00

Dear leg warmers,

Where have you been all my life? I'm serious. And this is not a fashion statement, because I live and work at home, and nobody but TH and Emmett see me all day. But we live in a drafty old barn, with nothing below us except either a crawl space or a concrete slab (depending on where you are in the building) and the air around floor is always freezing and moving here and there. But this week my friend Carolyn knitted me some leg warmers, and now the problem is totally solved! And I can wear dresses and leggings again now! My favorite work at home outfit is a nice cozy sweater dress, leggings, and my leg warmers. Maybe it is dorky, I'm not sure, but they sure make me happy. Now I need some that come over the knee.

Skinny Laminx

2012-01-18T07:43:00.001-05:00

Loving the pillows TH got me for Christmas from Skinny Laminx. I didn't realize it, but our living room was apparently really needing a little pop of red!

Cuban Night!

2012-01-17T14:11:00.000-05:00

Our friends Garet and Carolyn teamed up with the owners of the Country Girl Diner and our excellent local beer and wine shop Meditrina to cook up a night of Cuban food this past Sunday at the diner. It was a smashing success; all the tickets were completely sold out and the food was fantastic. My favorites were the cuban sandwich and the coconut custard tart, which were both seriously out of this world. Although they also put together some tempting beer pairings for the event I had to go traditional and have a michelada (or two?) with my dinner. Micheladas are a very interesting beer drink traditional to Cuba and Mexico, although they are made a little differently in each place, because Mexico uses worcestershire sauce in the mix, and Cuba does not. And I was very interested to finally learn the reason for that from my friend Truddi during dinner. Apparently worcestershire sauce is very had to get in Cuba because it needs to be imported, and therefore would be hugely expensive. Total ah ha moment. Anyway, Garet and Carolyn did a bang up job, cooked dinner for 32 people like it was no big deal, and a great time was had by all! Thanks so much all of you! Please do these events at least twice a month, and count us in for every one!

Brrrrrr!

2012-01-16T10:25:00.001-05:00

It was insanely cold here last night. When we woke up this morning it was -11 degrees. We went out last night because our friends were guest cheffing a cuban food night at the Diner (delicious, and blog post to follow tomorrow), and when we got in the car to go home at 9 it was already -1. Buy the time we got up to our house it was reading -4. And when we got in the car to go home there were these amazing geometric frost crackle patterns on the windshield. I've never seen that before. Does anyone know why that happens? It was a little hard to photograph, but I thought it was so cool, I had to share.

And Now For Something Completely Different. . .

2012-01-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

New York. Headed home tomorrow.

Lying on the Pond

2012-01-10T08:28:00.002-05:00

I spent a good chunk of yesterday morning flat on my belly on our frozen pond shooting pictures of jewelry on the ice. I got the idea from a picture I took last week of a close up of a hockey puck while I was shooting my nephews playing hockey. The texture of the ice is just so cool. These are some of the shots, and the final one with the logo is the one I decided to use for my postcard for the Buyers Market of American Craft, a wholesale show coming up in February.

And just as an aside, I have come to realize that enjoying (bearing?) winter has everything to do with being dressed properly. It took me three trips to the pond to get it right, both in the photography and in the attire. So in case you plan to go lie on a frozen pond, I strongly recommend Patagonia capilene!

(p.s. I just added the cuff bracelet to my shop, so click here for pricing info etc. And the rings and the necklace are in there too.)

Homesteading Roasters

2012-01-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

Check out these adorable dishtowels from Homesteading Roasters, in Alaska. They have lots of little wood stoves all over them! I ordered them as a gift for friends up here who also heat their home primarily with wood. But I was so very sad to part with them that I may have to order a pair for myself! And the folks at homesteading roasters very nicely included this gorgeous note card in our package as a little unexpected gift. Isn't it pretty?

New Blue

2012-01-04T08:31:00.002-05:00

So very in love with the new hand-blown glasses that were a gift from my Mom made by Nick Kekic of Tsuga Studios here in Chester. They are a beautiful cerulean blue with a lime green rim, and I love the way they brighten up the open shelves where we keep our glasses. And they are a perfect size for water too. The little orange vase in the bottom image was made by Nick too. Love.

Misty

2012-01-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

We had a really strangely misty night the other night that made everything look really cool and glowy. I took some pictures where you can see how the lights are lighting up the moisture around them. My parents are home for the holidays, and it is so nice to look out the window and see their house all aglow.

Handmade Christmas - Part 1

2012-01-02T12:15:00.001-05:00

This past year I spent many many hours exploring the inspiring world of creativity and handmade beauty, both on Etsy and at all of the craft fairs I participated in. And the more and more I get involved and connected, the more I love it. I don't know if it is because I am a maker myself, but I am just endlessly fascinated by what people design and create with their own hands. So of course I spend a lot of time coveting and drooling, so I thought Christmas would be an excellent opportunity to add some of these items to cart, as it were, even if they weren't going to stay in my possession for long! Here are a few pics of some of my favorite purchases, and scroll down to the bottom for links to more information about each artist.

top photo: A beautiful bowl by Rob Cartelli
middle Photo: A painting of an AT-AT for TH from Against the Woodgrain on Etsy
bottom Photo: A 2012 calendar and a tea towel and letterpress recipe card set from Leah Duncan on Etsy

Unwrapping Christmas

2011-12-26T07:34:00.001-05:00

I hope everybody had a lovely Christmas! We had lots of delicious food, and it was very fun to spend so much time in the kitchen in a fairly relaxed way. Mom handled Christmas Eve dinner, and I only had to do Christmas Dinner for five, so it wasn't too stressful. I'm sure it will be no big surprise to anyone that the baby likes yorkshire pudding, although he was a little too addled by all his new toys to concentrate on eating. And nobody warmed me what Christmas was like with a 2 year old! I wasn't at all prepared for the wrapping paper-ripping dervish that spun through our living room, opening every present in site, no matter who it was for. He didn't even really care about them being for him, or hoarding them or anything. He just really wanted to open them, to know what was behind all that paper and in all those boxes. He just really couldn't handle the suspense! In hindsight I wish we had done Emmett's presents with him in the morning and then done the adult presents in a more calm and ceremonious way during nap, or in the evening. It was kind of a bummer to spend so much time and money getting just the right gifts for everybody and then not really being able to watch them open them! So my advice to anyone who will have a two year old next Christmas: split it up! I'm hoping when he's three he'll be able to listen to reason about taking turns opening presents, and maybe even think about picking out a few presents to give to his favorite people, so he can start to get the idea a little better. Anyone have any thoughts or stories about Christmas with toddlers?

Christmas Eve Morning Sprinkle Toast

2011-12-24T08:51:00.000-05:00

I couldn't even get a picture of it without little fingers trying to drag it of the counter.

Adorable and Free Printable Gift Tags From Edison Rex

2011-12-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

Anyone else still have an obscene amount of wrapping to do? Want some cute gift tags for your packages? Meag from Edison Rex sent me the link to these adorable printable gift tags she designed. Click here for the link. If you have a printer at home you can follow the link and just hit print and then cut them out. Easy as pie! I especially love the narwhals, although the lions in mittens are pretty awesome too. Thanks so much Maeg! And happy wrapping everyone!

Now We're Talking!

2011-12-23T08:01:00.001-05:00

Scrambled Eggs, Polenta and Salsa Verde

2011-12-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

Great quick breakfast this morning. A scrambled egg over a leftover parmesan baked polenta square with a dab of salsa verde. Yummy. Sometimes you get lucky with what you find in the fridge!

Last Call . . .

2011-12-19T22:56:00.000-05:00

Just a heads up that today (Tuesday the 20th) is the last day to order either jewelry or paper goods from my Etsy shops. At the end of the day I will be closing up shop to finish my remaining orders and spend some time with gathering family. I am very much looking forward to wrapping presents, cooking, reading by the fire, and half-heartedly trying to stop present crazed boys from tearing the house apart!

So if you are still one present short for someone on your list click the following links to check out what is left in stock. Everything still listed in both Rebecca Haas Jewelry on Etsy and Fiddleheads For Fiona is all made up and ready to ship in time for Christmas!

***Oh, and pssst, enter the coupon code "campestral" on either site for a 15% off special for Campestral readers!

Emmett's First (Professional) Haircut!

2011-12-16T14:27:00.001-05:00

We just got home from Emmett's first professional haircut! We took him to Strand Style Studio, where our friend Chandra now officially cuts the whole family's hair. She very considerately has her haircutting chair positioned with a great view of Main Street in the little town of Bellows Falls, so Emmett had a great view of vehicles of all kinds. I've never seen him sit so still. He even seemed to like it, I think. And oh boy does he look handsome (I know, I'm biased, but still)! I have now vowed never to hack at his hair myself again. Thanks Chandra!

Amazing Find!

2011-12-14T09:35:00.002-05:00

I was so excited to find this print by a well know Vermont Artist named Sabra Field in our local antique barn this past weekend! I have had to do a little sleuthing, because it is signed Sabra Johnson, which turns out to be her maiden name, so I figure it must be from her early years in Vermont before she was married. The framing seems to be original, since the framers label on the back is dated 1971, and she moved up here as a part of the back to the land movement in 1967. I was given a small work of hers as a child, and it now is hanging in Emmett's room, so I was familiar with her signature and handwriting, so I was pretty sure it was hers. I plan to email her about this, since she is still alive and living in Vermont, and hopefully get some more information about it. Her current work is very different, and is mostly landscapes and more cheerful bucolic Vermont scenes. But I just love this print, which is a lithograph over a grave rubbing from a historic Vermont graveyard. I am assuming the portrait is an imagining of the woman who is in that grave, who died at age 20 in 1890. I know it's a little dark, but what an amazing find, no? I am so thrilled to have found it, and I think it just looks like it belongs in our house. If anybody has any additional info about this period in Sabra Field's career I'd LOVE to hear it! I'm so curious to learn more!

Around the Studio

2011-12-08T12:31:00.001-05:00

Enjoying being in the studio with the fresh coat of paint, Christmas decorations, and these finished custom collages waiting on shipping instructions. . . If I have to be in the studio all the time these days, at least there can be prettiness!

Virtual Sample Sale!

2011-12-07T13:44:00.001-05:00

Don't worry, I didn't forget all my non-local cyber friends this holiday season! Go to Rebecca Haas Jewelry on Etsy to browse my remaining holiday craft fair stock. (the photos above are a few examples, but there are lots more!) And to say thank you to all Campestral readers I have added a special coupon code to give you an additional 15% off the already discounted sample sale prices. Just enter the word "campestral" in the coupon code box at check out. Happy shopping, and thanks for reading!

xoxo

Rebecca

New Work, One Last Holiday Show, and a Special Sale Announcement!

2011-12-03T09:06:00.001-05:00

Here is some new work that I will be bringing to my last holiday craft show of the season, which is stART at the Station, tomorrow in Worcester, MA. I'll be headed out today though to spend the night at my friend Cassie's house, of Shop Clementine, since she lives about and hour and a half in the right direction. I don't know how I thought I would be able to sleep at home, and then be in Worcester, with two tables all set up by 10am. Silly me. So luckily Cassie is taking me in, and then we can make the early morning schlep together. I have to say that although I am excited for the show, but I am glad it is my last one of the year! My direct web sales have more than doubled from last year, and I wasn't quite prepared for it, so I've been scrambling and pulling some long hours so that I don't fall too far behind the orders as they roll in! I am completely aware that this is a very good problem to have, and it is very exciting, but I am going to have to get WAY better organized before next year's holiday shopping season. Now, how does one do that exactly? That is the question.

And pssst to all of you blog readers. . . I am going to post everything that is left after this show on my two Etsy shops and do a Virtual Craft Fair/Sample sale for all of you who aren't in easy driving distance, and so couldn't come to any of the brick and mortar events. So stay tuned for a special coupon code to be posted here and on Facebook! And if you haven't "liked" my Facebook pages yet, now would be a great time to do it, so you don't miss out on this sale! (You can just follow the links to the left under the "Keep in Touch" section.) And feel free to spread the word!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Fog

2011-11-29T23:06:00.001-05:00

Amazing scenery on my rush to the UPS drop box tonight.

Thanks!

2011-11-28T07:44:00.001-05:00

Thanks so much to everyone who came to this past Saturday's open studio! It was such a fun event, and It was so nice to see all of you! And I wanted to be sure to let you all know how much I appreciate you making the trek down the long dirt road to do your Christmas shopping!

And for those of you who couldn't make it on Saturday, I'll be leaving everything set up for the next few weeks, so feel free to drop me a line or send me a note to set up a time to come browse! I'll be in there working away filling Christmas orders anyway, and I'd welcome the break!

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

2011-11-25T08:34:00.001-05:00

I hope you all had a lovely and delicious Thanksgiving! I know it will probably be 364 days before anyone wants to think about cooking any Thanksgiving recipes again, but these two came out so well I had to mention them, and hope you will bookmark them for next year! We were invited to Thanksgiving at our friends Garet and Carolyn's house, and our dishes to make were stuffing and potatoes. Since they were doing a ham instead of a turkey, the stuffing was going to have to be made in a pan as more of a dressing. I found a variation on my mom's chestnut stuffing here, with photos below. The only thing I changed about this recipe was I added one beaten egg to the mixture before it went in the oven.

and a recipe for scalloped potatoes with fennel here, with photos below. The only thing I changed on this one was to add just a teeny bit of gruyere cheese to the mixture (about 1 cup) and I only used 1 fennel bulb instead of two.

Both of these recipes cam out extremely well, and I for sure plan to make them again next year, if not before!

Making Paper Garland

2011-11-21T23:46:00.001-05:00

My friend Carolyn and I have both really been wanting to try our hands at making paper garland and ornaments for our Christmas trees. So this past Sunday we both dusted off our rarely used sewing machines (I mean really rarely, like once every 2 years or so), threw them up on the work table, and gave it a shot. There was lots of trial and error, and a fair amount of grumbling, both from us, and the sewing machines, but over all it was really fun! And not quite as hard as I expected it to be, but I think it would be really hard to get them to come out looking professional. But it was my first time sewing on paper, and I have to say I really liked it! I am looking forward to the post holiday crazy time so that I might be able to experiment a little more. And perhaps I should by a book or something. No need to reinvent the wheel, and I'm sure there are lots of cool projects to try out. But the winging it was a really great way to start, and I ended up with two fairly long strands of garland, about 10-12 feet or so each, one with triangle pennants, and one with the snowflakey starry rectangles you see above. You never know, this could possibly be another good use for all of those pages I remove when I make my secret compartment books! And Carolyn made a super clever garland that was a paper version of the traditional popcorn and cranberry garland. I'm only sorry I didn't get a picture of it before she left!

Country Girl Diner

2011-11-20T23:08:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to post about the new incarnation of our local diner for ages! For so long, in fact, that it is barely new anymore! They opened in July, and serve a great mix of traditional diner fare and delicious and sometimes eclectic daily specials. Sometimes they have great Mexican food specials, which is a rare treat for us gringos, and they also host guest chefs from a local inn who have a passion for asian barbecue. The new owners and staff are super friendly and hospitable, and best of all for us, Emmett loves to go there! It is located right on the main drag in our town (not saying much, really) and he can stand on the banquet, look out the window and watch trucks roll past. He's two, he looks for different qualities in a dining establishment than I do, but hey, in this case, we all win!

They don't have a web site, but for more info you can check out their facebook page here. Or if you are in Chester, just go eat!

Sunday Breakfast

2011-11-20T12:25:00.001-05:00

This morning I was feeling a little tired of our regular breakfast options, so I thought I'd try a pasta scramble recipe out of Everyday Pasta, by Giada de Laurentis. I made a few changes, including shallot instead of onion, and peas instead of asparagus. In the end you just saute some bacon, then add some chopped shallot, then add some peas or any other veggie that appeals to you (roasted red pepper would probably be delicious). Then add whatever small cooked pasta you have on hand, we used stelline, and toss to coat. Then add your eggs that have already been beaten with cubes of mozzarella cheese, and cook until they are softly set. It was quite yummy, and you could make it in lots of different ways to keep it tasting fresh!

Mark Your Calendars!

2011-11-17T10:12:00.001-05:00

If you are in the area it would be lovely to see you all! I hope you can make it!

Local Texture

2011-11-16T08:07:00.001-05:00

Photos from October

Festive

2011-11-14T14:05:00.001-05:00

above photo by Sasha of What, No Mints?

It's official. The holiday season has already begun up here on the hill. I just received my first new holiday decor item of the year, and TH is currently out buying twinkle lights!! Something about having a kid makes Christmas so exciting again! And Emmett is still too little to be excited himself, so it's not that. But we are both just so excited to see all the wonderment in him as we decorate the tree and wrap all the presents and do all the cooking and baking! I just want to put cinnamon and cloves in the little bubbly pot on our wood stove right now, and have the house smell like cookies for the next 6 weeks. In fact, I think I'll go do that.

Ok, I'm back. Spices are bubbling away. To get a charmingly geeky ornament from What, No Mints? for yourself, or to browse her other adorable felted and embroidered items, click here. I am so excited to finally have one, after much coveting from afar!

New Work, With a Twist!

2011-11-11T07:19:00.001-05:00

I'm headed to Northampton this afternoon to participate in the fabulous Twist Indie Craft Fair. I had a great time at the one this past May, so I am really looking forward to it. And so of course I've been working away like a little enslaved elf in both studios to make some fun new things to sell there. Here is a little preview of some of my favs!

If you are in the area I totally recommend checking out this show and getting a head start on your Christmas shopping. There are so many amazing vendors, and there are snacks! I'm hoping to be able to scratch quite a few people off my shopping list this weekend! Luckily my super friend Carolyn is coming to help me man (person?) my tables so I can sneak out and do my shopping! For show hours and additional info, please click here!

And if you can't get to Twist, but are desperately in need of any of the pieces above please get in touch and we'll figure something out!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

The New Petal Bangle

2011-11-08T07:17:00.000-05:00

Recently a long time customer saw the picture below and mistook the rings for bangles.

I explained that they were rings, but that bangles like that would be a good idea! So thanks for the great idea Karen, here they are!

Around the Studio 11/11

2011-11-04T10:50:00.000-04:00

A few recent pics from around the studio. Note the doggie nose prints on the window.

I always include a little handmade thank you note with every order. I loved the color combo in this last package.

Words, Love, and a Secret

2011-11-01T09:36:00.000-04:00

Recently I was commissioned to hollow out a small cavity in a copy of The Great Gatsby for a customer to use to conceal an engagement ring. It is always so fun to be peripherally involved in other people's big life moments, isn't it? I've made wedding bands for people in the past, and it just gives me such a warm fuzzy feeling to be a part of something so momentous, even if the real players are complete strangers. Somehow some of the romanticism just rubs off on all involved. So obviously I was thrilled to take it on.

And on top of loving the sentimentality of the project, I really enjoyed the process of making this hollow book with a little ribbon attached to the top of the lid to secure the ring. And I loved and finding a great page to stop at to use as the bottom of the cavity, where the text was talking about being in love and falling in love. What a stroke of luck that was. I had planned to make a fabric bottom, but this turned out so much better. I love this project so much that it will be a regular listing this in my shop now as a custom book option.

What a super romantic way to propose to a girl. Especially if the girl is a bit of a nerd like me!

The Arm Thief

2011-10-30T10:42:00.000-04:00

Scallywag!

October Snow

2011-10-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

It's beautiful, but still, snow in October just cannot be a good sign.

Wooden Playground

2011-10-26T07:12:00.000-04:00

I love the playground at our local elementary school. There's a little brook that runs behind the playground, and 4 slides, wobbly bridges, tunnels, and towers, and loads of different monkey bars. Emmett and I spent an hour there yesterday clambering around and enjoying the last of the foliage and the crisp fall air. Even the light is crisp and sharp at this time of year, it has such a different feel than soft hazy summer sunlight. Every once and a while small groups of kids come out for recess, I can't seem to figure out their schedule, and we just try to stay out of the way and Emmett marvels at all the things the big kids can do. Otherwise we usually have the place to ourselves. For some reason today I had a little moment when it struck me how nice it is to live in a place where public places don't get defaced by disenfranchised youth and there isn't trash everywhere. And it is nice to be able to climb into all the little nooks and crannies without worrying what you might find. I'm sure that sounds very square and thirty-something, but there it is. I'll just take it as a sign that the decision to move to the country is working for me.

Around the Studio

2011-10-25T07:58:00.000-04:00

Some recent shots from around the studio. The last one is a little printout that TH sent Emmett into my studio with in an envelope for me. Pretty cute little messenger. The long necklace is actually a whole bunch of bracelets clasped together to go in the tumbler. It'll be a necklace next though, minus all the extra clasps. I love the randomness of it, and it looks great wrapped around twice. I love a happy accident!

Hello Terrarium!

2011-10-24T07:58:00.000-04:00

My friends G&C gave me this adorable terrarium for my birthday this weekend. It has some moss, and some leafy things, and I don't even know what the other things are. I had no idea how much I had been wanting a terrarium, but now that I have one I am totally in love with it. TH recently got himself a leafy friend in his studio that he calls his studio assistant, and I think this cute leafy ball will be mine.

Roots and Tubers

2011-10-21T19:33:00.004-04:00

Parsnips, new potatoes, and a leek pulled from the garden for a roasted dinner this past weekend.

Falling Leaves Mobile

2011-10-20T13:56:00.002-04:00

I made my first paper mobile the other day, and I can't wait to make more. This one has a fall theme, with fluttering leaves and warm fall colors. In the pipeline are some pink and purple paisley ones, and some blue and green and white funky stars, and of course birds! I've been intending to make mobiles since I started Fiddleheads, but got stymied by what kind of wire to use for the top, but I finally just decided to wing it and used a warm copper wire for this one, which I really like with the fall leaves. Yay! Can't wait to make more!

Apple Cider Making

2011-10-18T19:03:00.001-04:00

We got some friends together this weekend to pick and press apples for cider, a large portion of which is being made into hard cider by our friend Chas. Hopefully it is out there in the barn fermenting away! We used an old hand-crank press that has been kicking around, and it really worked well, as long as you have some muscly people around who don't mind doing the cranking. The cider is really sweet and delicious fresh as well, and we all did some sampling throughout the process. We also saved out some of the more perfect looking apples for snacking on and for the pie above made by our friend Holly, who is visiting from New York (hence the footwear on the ladder. I love it. She was also wearing a cape. It really leant an air of elegance to our cider making party that would have otherwise been totally lacking.). Overall we made about 8.5 gallons and had a really great time. I think we've got ourselves a new fall tradition!

Out For A Walk on the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge

2011-10-13T07:56:00.000-04:00

The other day TH and Emmett and I went out exploring our little town. It's sort of amazing that in a town this size we haven't been everywhere yet. At least not together. For me it was a little bit like being a tourist in my own childhood. Revisiting this bridge brought back a very visceral and long forgotten feeling of being a kid, hanging out on the swaying bridge and throwing rocks into the river below. It is an interesting experience moving home to a small town after so many years, where everything is pretty much the same, except for you.

I Want My Hat Back

2011-10-12T09:17:00.001-04:00

TH ordered a copy of this great new children's book called I Want My Hat Back, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen, and it almost instantly became a family favorite. There are lots of books that Emmett loves to have read to him that are not my favorites, like his steam engine sticker book, for example. Not a lot of story there. But this book we really all enjoy immensely. The protagonist is this hilariously low affect bear, whose hat has gone missing, and the story is his quest to get it back. Some of the humor is a little dark, but the dark parts are all subtext, and go right over Emmett's head, which is perfect. The best part of the story is how he gets his hat back, but I don't want to give everything away! Go here to pick up a copy for yourself to find out!

Foliage

2011-10-10T10:34:00.002-04:00

These photos are for Jennifer, who requested foliage pictures.

New Art Supplies

2011-10-07T11:13:00.003-04:00

There is almost nothing I like more than a whole new stash of art supplies. I just ordered in a whole bunch of gorgeous new papers as well as some new deep birch panels to use as bases for my collages for Fiddleheads. Aren't they beautiful? And I ordered quite a few larger format bases because it seems that even though they are more expensive, that seems to be what people are looking for. I am so excited to get started!

Too Many Toys Getting You Down?

2011-10-06T16:45:00.001-04:00

We have just gotten through to the other side of Emmett's second birthday and we find ourselves absolutely inundated with toys. And a lot of them are either new, or still in regular use! Emmett seems to play like I work, with all of his creative materials spread out around him on every available surface. So it is time to adopt a few clutter reducing systems, and I am open to suggestions! So I thought I would put up my ideas, or some ideas that have been given to me, and then hopefully open it up to any of you who have found good ways to deal with this problem. I am hoping that the comments on this post, as well as the body, could become a helpful resource.

So my friend Truddi, (who, let's be honest, is part of the cause of the inundation) suggested a tactic to me that I put into effect right away. And the best thing about it is that it actually serves a double purpose. She suggests packing up a bin of lots of tiny trucks and stashing it away high up in a closet out of sight of curious little toddler eyes. Then when you really need an occupied child, or are at a loss on a rainy day you can pull it down and open it up. Isn't this genius? It gets rid of clutter and supplies a parent with a periodic "get out of jail free card." She said she had certain toys when her children were young that they only were allowed to play with when she was sewing, and really needed a little peace and quiet.

Another somewhat simpler version of the same idea is just to rotate your whole toy collection every month or two. Just pack up half or a third or whatever toy quantity seems to be a problem and put it away. Then when the current selection of toys gets stale just switch it up.

And another variant that I love the idea of is to do a rotating toy swap with your friends with children the same age. Of course this means that you are bringing more toys into the house, but you are also sending some out, and you are sharing the wealth. As long as you are careful about remembering that the point is to have less toys underfoot and not more, than the system should work. It's so crazy, it just might work!!

So who has other ideas? I'd love to hear them, and as you can tell from the top photo, I really need the help! So much so that I almost titled this post "I think we need an intervention!"

Imagine the Possibilities

2011-10-05T10:34:00.000-04:00

I fell into the Ikea inspiration blog this morning, and it a little bit made me want to throw away everything I own and start from scratch. Sigh. These pictures also made me feel very sad that summer is slipping away, and I didn't have any garden parties. Of course with all the rain and mosquitos Vermont isn't the best place for a garden party, and who really has garden parties anyway, right? Especially not during the day. But I just love the inside/outside feel of these spaces, and the bright open airiness of it all. I bet those rooms smell like sunshine and herbs.

DIY Crayon Rubbings: Great Interactive Toddler Art Project!

2011-10-03T08:41:00.001-04:00

Our super sweet and creative friend Carolyn gave Emmett this fantastic home made present for his second birthday. She used some vehicle stencils she found to make these slightly 3D collages which can then be used to make crayon rubbings. The toddler can make quick and easy drawings by rubbing the crayon across a paper held or taped on top of the collage and a perfect image appears like magic on the blank paper! She told me her mom made these for her and her sister when she was a little girl. And since Carolyn's was a gift she spent some time selecting the cardboard she used to make the vehicles, and they turned out looking very nice on their own. But she said if one were to do this at home as an activity to keep little minds entertained you can just use anything from your recycling bin, like old cereal boxes. Isn't that such a nice present? We happened to have this three photo frame hanging around so we quickly threw in three of the colorful rubbings for some instant playroom art and a lovely souvenir of Emmett's second birthday and a thoughtful present.

Misty Morning

2011-09-30T14:54:00.000-04:00

I have not been sleeping well lately. So this morning I thought, "hey, why fight it?" and got up around 6. Now I fully realize lots of people get up at 6am every day, some of them even by choice!?!? But not me, I am a big fan of 8am. (and before I had a kid, 10am) However, it turns out that sunrise is really quite pretty. Who knew, right? Well, probably the people who get up at 6 by choice, actually. It was very foggy, and the sun was just rising and burning off the fog when I took these photos. Don't let them fool you into thinking we have nice weather up here because it is a lie, a snare and a delusion, because really all it does is rain. We lost part of our driveway again last night because of excessive rain and runoff.

I'm super excited that my brother is here visiting from California this weekend, where he lives with his family and works in the family biz. He is also the keeper of this super wine blog, so if you are in to wine, check it out! Have a lovely weekend everyone! Anyone doing anything special?

The Road Less Traveled

2011-09-28T11:03:00.000-04:00

I took the back way home from a friends house the other day, which consists of about 6 miles of pretty narrow dirt roads. Some of them are still damaged from Hurricane Irene, so there were some small rivers and deep ditches to traverse. (Go Subaru go!) It was a beautiful drive though, and on one of the few sunny days we've had recently. It is definitely starting to look like fall around here.

Outdoor Concert Goodness

2011-09-26T19:33:00.000-04:00

Pictures from last night's Fleet Foxes concert in Holyoke, MA at Mountain Park. Those guys are really good, and they were great live. And Mountain Park was beautiful, well groomed and very organized. And the beer truck was even pouring my favorite beer from this summer called Wacko, by Magic Hat Brewery here in VT. The beer came right out of a tap in the side of the truck! Is this a new technology, or is it that I haven't been to a concert in a while? How were all of your weekends?

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y E M M E T T !

2011-09-23T08:12:00.002-04:00

Hooray for Emmett! He's 2 today!

Lunch

2011-09-20T14:17:00.000-04:00

Baby arugula salad with Great Hill Blue cheese, pear, and birdseed mustard balsamic vinaigrette.

If we're being honest, if there had been a personal size frozen pizza in the freezer I would have eaten that, which is, I guess, a good advertisement for not having frozen pizza in the freezer. This salad actually turned out to be pretty tasty.

Lovely Mention of Rebecca Haas Jewelry

2011-09-20T10:41:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much to Jaime from GemAntics for this lovely mention of Rebecca Haas Jewelry! She stealthily spent some time in our booth at stART on the street this weekend and went home and wrote this lovely post. Click here to see the other jewelers that caught her eye at the festival. And be sure to browse some of her older posts on her blog to drool over all of the beautiful artisan jewelry she features from around the country.

Rebecca Haas Jewelry: Sharing a booth with Clementine was Rebecca Haas, making it so hard for me to only go home with one piece. Her jewelry is elegant, simple, and sweet often using mixed metals (silver and gold) giving basic shapes a unique and dynamic look. My next purchase will certainly be from Rebecca!

Tents and Sapphires

2011-09-19T14:17:00.000-04:00

Whew today is going by fast! I can't believe it is already 2pm. This weekend was a whirlwind also, including a quick roundtrip to Worcester, MA for the stART on the street festival on Sunday. I shared a tent again with Cassie, which was excellent fun, as usual. And I'm loving my side of the jewelry trade we made at the end of the day. (see above, and check out those sapphires! (worn with my new Cubit Bracelet)) Here are some pics of our tent, which we managed to set up in record time (for us, which really isn't saying a lot, since we may be the slowest setters up and breakers down in craft fair history). I had an especially good day with Fiddleheads, which was really fun. I'm learning a lot about what sizes and styles really appeal to people, which is both fascinating and invaluable.

On another note, I got some good news that my parents went to the newly re-opened Simon Pearce restaurant, which had been closed since the Irene flooding. Hooray for them! I hope you all had a lovely fall weekend!

Fall in the Garden

2011-09-17T09:27:00.000-04:00

The garden is winding down and some things are starting to go to seed. There was actually a threat of frost here last night, so we went out and picked everything that was pickable and covered some frost tender plants with sheets, like the potatoes and the tomatoes. (Luckily though it only got down to a balmy 37 degrees) That basket above is full of basil, which I am going to turn into pesto as soon as I get up from the computer. We really let things slide in the garden this year, and I am feeling a mixture of guilt and resolve for next spring. I actually learned by experience what happens to your plants if you don't weed around them. It turns out it isn't just for aesthetics. My tomatillos, which are practically indestructible, got so choked with weeds that they barely produced one bowl of full size fruit. And our acorn squash plant only made three meager squashes. Sigh. Although I don't think that was just from weeds, I think that must have partly been due to the cold and late spring. But we have definitely been enjoying plenty of fresh produce none the less, and have been making big batches of soups and sauces and salads. Ah well, tomorrow is another year. (seems like that sometimes, doesn't it?)

So today will be full of pesto making, possibly tomato soup making, and jewelry pricing. If any of you are in the Worcester, MA area tomorrow I'll be at stART on the street for the whole afternoon. Stop by and say hi!

Impending Halloween

2011-09-14T08:47:00.000-04:00

Card by Fiddleheads For Fiona. Click image for info.

I know it is only September, and believe me, I am not interested in rushing the seasons here, but I am already feeling a little overwhelmed by Halloween. As a young adult I tended to avoid Halloween, and used it as a good excuse to stay home, and off the streets, and catch up on my junky movie watching. I've never been a big fan of costume wearing, at least not since I was a kid. But now that I have a kid I am totally psyched to dress him up in something adorable. But I find I have no Halloween parenting skills at all, and am not even sure what you do with a 2 year old on Halloween. Too young for candy, right? I mean who wants to open up that can of worms any earlier than absolutely necessary. And although I wish I were crafty enough to make a cool costume for him, but unless I make it entirely out of metal (suit of armor anyone?) I am at a loss. So I'm putting it out there to all of you for advice. What did you all do with your 2 year olds on Halloween? And does anyone have a source for cool original costumes that aren't entirely made out of plastic? Thanks everyone! I can certainly use all the help I can get!

Around the Studio: Hollow Books in the Pipeline

2011-09-12T10:11:00.002-04:00

Due to a little recent rush on my hollow book jewelry boxes out of my Etsy shop I suddenly found myself in need of restocking. So Emmett and I took ourselves off to poor flooded Brattleboro VT in the pouring rain, where cool old hardback books apparently go to die. There are practically more used bookstores there than people, and so even though the basement (read: bargain basement) of my usual place was closed due to flooding I was able to find another great source down a little back alley. I always try to find books with interesting titles and/or cool illustrations or graphics on the inside or outside covers; but at the same time not something that is in high demand for its original purpose. I have already made inroads into glueing the pages and hollowing some of them out, and will be listing them periodically over the next few weeks. Here is a little preview of coming attractions!

These boxes are so fun to make because they are all one of a kind pieces. And there is just something so intriguing about a secret compartment, don't you think? Maybe I just read too many Nancy Drews as a kid. They take forever to make, so I hardly make any profit on them, but somehow I just can't stop making them! If you want to see which ones are currently available in the shop click here.

Dear Cone of Shame, Goodbye and Good Riddance!

2011-09-08T19:57:00.001-04:00

We have all been suffering around here from a large dog in a elizabethan collar. Possibly Olivia most of all, but Emmett was a close second, followed by the adults in the house. Our very sweet, but very bulldozer like dog (it is no accident that her middle name is Sherman) was just hell on wheels in that cone. And when she ran into you with it at any speed it really sucked. Poor Emmett was the worst off in this department, and by the end of Olivia's 10 day sentence Emmett would just cry whenever she came anywhere near him. He was so traumatized by it that he insisted we make a cone for his stuffed wolf we call Little Leewa (Emmett's version of Olivia). Also, Lamby had to give it a spin.

So I am very happy to report that the whole ordeal is at an end. The scratch on The O's cornea has finally healed! We will no longer be woken up at least once a night when the giant-dog-in-cone gets stuck under the bed, or scrapes against the radiator. I would also like to bid a not-so-fond farewell to several sets of eyedrops four times a day, a doped up dog on painkillers, and all related horrors. Hallelujah.

Puddle Wonderful

2011-09-07T22:56:00.001-04:00

At least I know one person who is happy about this endless rain.

Bounty

2011-09-06T08:32:00.001-04:00

A bit of running around here this morning, but I wanted to post a little eye candy from what we picked in the garden this weekend. I was psyched to be able to make a yummy gazpacho for some friends on Sunday with almost entirely garden-grown ingredients! Recipe here.

Etsy Foraging Friday: Shameless Self Promotion Edition

2011-09-02T09:54:00.000-04:00

So I always have jewelry hanging aimlessly around my studio, loitering, looking for a job and a new home. Old samples, things I made for craft shows, but that aren't in my wholesale line, things like that. So I thought I would set up a kind of virtual sample sale shop that can be running all year, so that budget conscious consumers can have access to these unique pieces. I'll be updating it periodically, when I get free windows of time in my day. And when I do, I will post update notices on the Rebecca Haas Jewelry Facebook page, so if you would like to get these updates, head over there and "like" the page.

Go ahead and click on the image above to head over and check out the new sample sale shop!

Anniversary Dinner at SoLo Farm & Table

2011-09-01T09:26:00.000-04:00

We had the most lovely dinner last night at SoLo Farm and Table, in South Londonderry, VT. Yesterday was TH and my third anniversary, so we decided to brave the detours and half washed out roads to treat ourselves to a little celebration. SoLo just opened earlier in the summer, and a new restaurant around here is big news, so we were very excited to try it, and we were definitely not disappointed. We had a little moment of feeling guilty about going out to celebrate while so many people around here are still picking up the pieces of their lives after Irene, but I figure if we all stay home and feel guilty all our local businesses will close, and who does that help? Half of the roads leading to SoLo are closed, poor guys. We had to go way north to ultimately go southwest. But it was worth it.

SoLo is owned by a young couple like us (we're still young, right?) who are also recent transplants from New York, although Chloe, who runs the front of the house, was originally from Manchester, VT. Her husband Wesley is the chef and creator of the fabulous dishes you will drool over below.

For food, I had oysters and then the dish directly above, which was a poached egg on top of roasted potatoes and peppers with a tomato parmesan broth and chanterelle mushrooms. Very Yummy. And TH had a re-envisioned version of eggplant parmesan, with homemade mozzarella and other goodies, followed by sea scallops with squid ink and braised fennel. For dessert we had a selection of local cheeses and a delicious Spanish version of bread pudding that was rich and creamy served with homemade grapefruit sorbet.

And then the nicest part of all was when we asked for the bill my super sweet and thoughtful parents had secretly called ahead and treated us to our celebratory feast! And they babysat for Emmett! You really can't beat that. Thanks so much Mom and Dad!

End of Summer Care Package from Long Winter Farm

2011-08-31T08:10:00.000-04:00

At Picnic this past weekend I swapped a pair of earrings for some lovely products from Amanda of Long Winter Farm. I have been very curious to try her products for a while now, and it was my good luck to have a booth right across from her so I could quickly pop over and get some great stuff! ANd then once I had made my selections I recognized a running theme throughout the products I had chosen. I guess I am already feeling a little bit of summer nostalgia, since the scents I chose were Campfire, Beach Day, and Grass Stain. So as much as I love using these guys now, I know when February rolls around I am going to be thrilled to roll on a little beach day scent, which is reminiscent of sunscreen and coconut and flowers. I haven't tried the charcoal infused sea salt scrub yet, but I am in love with the look of the rich dark crystals. Shh, don't tell, but I was thinking that this little selection might make great Christmas presents for my snowbound friends, come December.

A Whirlwind Trip To Picnic, Portland

2011-08-30T07:32:00.000-04:00

I had a great time in Portland, even though my trip was cut 1 day short in order to flee from hurricane Irene. Well I guess I fled from and to hurricane Irene, but at least I got to weather the storm from the comfort of home. But even so, Picnic was lots of fun. Cassie (that is all of her lovely jewelry along the back wall) and I managed to erect our tent (with the help of a kind stranger) and build out our booth mostly to our satisfaction. Some streamlining is definitely necessary before our next show though, because it took us an additional hour over the allotted set up time, so we actually missed the first hour of the show. Not so good. But we sold some things, and made some new friends, and met some online friends in person too, which was great. I was very sad not to get any leisure time in Portland though, and it was a real drag driving home in the pouring rain on Saturday night. Stupid hurricane. But we will get another chance to further hone our craft show skills in 3 weeks, at stART on the street, in Worcester, MA on September 18th! I'm already brainstorming on how to build a pop-up display, and I'm taking suggestions. And as my friend Holly always says, "there are no bad ideas in brainstorming," so please feel free to just shout em out! (or maybe type them in the comments, cuz chances are I won't hear you shouting)

The Aftermath

2011-08-29T11:20:00.002-04:00

I just got back from a drive to town, which we took mostly to see if we could get to town after Irene blew through our area. Yesterday we stayed up on our hill, and although we lost power, and it rained like hell, we had no idea how bad things had gotten in our area until late last night. But before going to bed we saw a video of the covered bridge that leads to our friends Janessa and Burleigh's house just collapsing and washing down the river. Rivers that usually run along the bottom of a gorge, 50 to 75 feet below bridges and roads, were washing away their bridges and roads and anything else in their path. Many of the towns in our area have experienced crippling damage, and even a good chunk our little town was under water for a while. This morning is calm and crisp and beautiful, but reports of the extent of the damage are still coming in. We feel very lucky to have been spared all but the most minor damage, and that our road is still passable, although barely in some spots. All the photos above are from our road, and the top one is our driveway. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the damage all turns out to be property rather than loss of life. I can't bear to watch them anymore, but if you want to see videos of the raging waters click here, or here. The second one is the same covered bridge featured in my recent post on Simon Pearce, where you can see how high above the water it usually was.

I'm Off. . .

2011-08-26T08:39:00.000-04:00

Hope to see some of you there! And for those of you not silly enough to head to the Atlantic coast for the weekend, please stay safe and dry weathering the storm!

Picnic Portland This Saturday!

2011-08-25T09:11:00.000-04:00

I am very much looking forward to my trip to Portland, ME this Saturday, where I will be selling both jewelry and fiddleheads work! Here is a little sampling of some of the other talented makers who will be selling their work in Lincoln Park, Portland, ME this coming Saturday from 11am to 6pm. If you are in the area I hope you will swing by my tent and take a peek! So far the weather forecast is sunny with a slight chance of hurricane. For more info about the show click here.

Follow the links below for more info about the beautiful work shown above!

1. 2 Fresh Threads
2. Ktaadn
3. idillard
4. Long Winter Farm
5. The illustrious Cassie from Shop Clementine, who I will be sharing a tent with.
6. The Merriweather Council
7. Shara Porter
8. Xenotees

My Booth at NYIGF

2011-08-24T08:31:00.000-04:00

I was pretty happy with how my booth turned out at NYIGF. I'm not very happy with the pictures I managed to take though. For some reason it was very hard to photograph! So please give me the benefit of the doubt and assume the booth looked better than these pictures show. But here they are, for better or for worse.

This top picture was just the bones of the booth, before I put out any jewelry or accents.

I definitely think it was a big improvement over last time. I love the colors, the giant photo, and the rug. The little apples were a big hit too. I do wish that I had decided to bring some neck stands, I think that would have helped illustrate what I was selling. Buyers at NYIGF are so overwhelmed that you really need to make everything easy for them to see, which I'm not sure I did. I also worry that the natural canvas covered boards did not show off the jewelry very well from a distance, but up close they looked great. And I wish I had made more jewelry, even though I felt like I had a lot! But 10x10 is a huge amount of space, especially for jewelry as tiny as mine. The lighting turned out to be coming too much from directly overhead, so it created too many shadows. The lighting on the tabletops was great, but on the wall panels it was too oblique. Whew, so after saying al that it doesn't sound like I was all that happy with it, but I was! It is just very easy to find fault in anything if you spend 5 straight days in a 10x10 space. Overall the show was exhausting, but produced enough business to keep me busy for the fall, so that's the idea, right?!

Early Macs

2011-08-23T08:20:00.000-04:00

Things are feeling a little bittersweet to me this morning. I am a bit sad to report that apple season has begun up here. It is just the Early Macs, which ripen a good 3 weeks before the other varieties, but it is still a major harbinger of Fall, which is, of course, a harbinger of winter, and I'M NOT READY FOR WINTER! It was 50 degrees last night, and we put Emmett in his new cool weather pj's. 50 degrees is awfully close to 49 degrees, which is genuinely chilly.

I do love fall though. It is my favorite season, actually. I love the crisp air, and harvesting all the vegetables. And there are no bugs, so it is such a great time to be outside doing things. But it is so darn short sometimes, and winter is so long, that it is hard not to project forward to masses of dark frozen snowiness. Sigh.

Air Mail

2011-08-22T07:40:00.000-04:00

When I returned home from New York I found this lovely envelope waiting for me with a check for a web order from a customer in China. I thought the inside of the envelope was so pretty that I snapped a few pictures of it. I wish our security envelopes looked like this! It was also the first order for something in actual 14k I've had in ages. Since the gold market went through the roof I have been working in mainly gold fill and sterling silver. It felt good to work in gold again. Fingers crossed that the gold market goes down again soon!

Brooklyn

2011-08-20T08:33:00.000-04:00

Some pics from our recent time in Brooklyn. Oh, Fairway, how I miss you!

Off to NYIGF!

2011-08-11T08:11:00.000-04:00

I'll be taking a little blogging hiatus while I tend my booth at the New York International Gift Show. I'll miss you!

Seriously Affordable Wedding Flowers from Hemingway Farms

2011-08-10T08:41:00.000-04:00

How amazing are these flowers? And they were all fresh cut on their farm that morning. Each little arrangement comes in a little glass jar or galvanized bucket, and they cost $6 per arrangement. How great would these look on wedding tables? Or tables for any party? And for $6 a pop, think how much money one could save. Of course, you'd have to be one of those easy going brides or hostesses that would be ok with just grabbing whatever they had that day, which I aspire to be, but am really not. But if you are one of those people (you lucky devil), and are getting married in the Vermont or New Hampshire area, this could be something to look into! And maybe they would even be willing to put something specific together for you. I didn't ask, but here's where to find them if you'd like to look into it:

1815 Claremont Rd.
Charlestown, NH
(603)826-3336

Nicholas Kekic at the League of NH Craftsmen Fair

2011-08-09T07:53:00.000-04:00

We walked around the League of NH Craftsmen Fair in Sunapee, New Hampshire yesterday. I had never been before, but had heard great things, so I was very excited to look around. Although I was already very familiar with his work, because he is a friend and lives in Chester as well, Nick Kekic's booth work was one of my favorites at the show. If you are local and are planning on going to the show, definitely try to stop by his booth in tent 7. The show runs through the 14th, and there are gazillions of beautiful things to ogle!

Around the Studio

2011-08-05T09:23:00.001-04:00

Getting ready for the New York International Gift Fair.

Lunch at Simon Pearce, Quechee VT

2011-08-04T08:56:00.000-04:00

If you happen to be in the area, Simon Pearce is a great place to stop for lunch. The setting is amazing, the food and wine are delicious, and you can watch glass blowing and pottery making demonstrations, and it is very kid friendly. We had a great time there with the whole family last weekend. I'd love to say that that was something respectable like mayonnaise, or ice cream on Emmett's face, but no, it is straight up butter. Oh well. Whatever keeps them quiet and happy in a restaurant, right?

Introducing. . .

2011-08-03T09:30:00.000-04:00

Here's a little peek of this fall's line! Please visit my site to check out the updated shop as well as to view the slideshow of the full look book!

Souvenir

2011-08-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

I love buying table linens as souvenirs, because after a while knick knacks start to drive me crazy, but I do like to bring something home to remember the trip by. You can use and enjoy linens with family and friends while remembering a lovely past trip with family and friends. We picked up this striped runner on our recent trip to France in a little shop in Vaison La Romaine. I was planning to get something more typically Provencal, but this more modern one appealed to me more.

Ta Da!

2011-08-01T08:51:00.001-04:00

TH's parents were just here for a visit, and they brought with them the wedding quilt TH's mom Helen has been working on pretty much every day since our wedding, almost 3 years ago. It is a completely hand sewn and quilted king size appliqued Hawaiian quilt. Every tiny stitch, which creates all that gorgeous texture was put in meticulously by hand. Is it the most gorgeous quilt you have ever seen, or what?

The inside top corner has a hand embroidered inscription which reads: "For Rebecca and Tom with love from Mom, August 31, 2008 completed March 4, 2011, Helen Hutten, Awa'wa Maluhia, the last of which is the name of the quilt in Hawaiian, which means "peaceful valley."

This is truly an amazing, and a little bit overwhelming gift. When TH and I chose this design we had no idea how labor intensive it was going to be, and neither did Helen. I'm sure there were many moments over the last two years where she was having serious second thoughts about taking on this endeavor, but she persevered, and we are extremely appreciative of her efforts, and not a little amazed. We were also in a very different place in our life back in 2008, just a carefree childless couple living in the city, but now seeing that expanse of snowy white fabric a little bit gives me palpitations.

So now we are facing the challenge of how to use and enjoy it without damaging it. This is an heirloom which demands to be preserved and passed down, but it seems a shame to keep it safely hidden away as well. But with the lifestyle we have now, what with a sticky fingered toddler and a large hairy farm dog with the occasional propensity to chew on fabric, what should we do? Right now I am thinking this way: hopefully this quilt will last for a hundred years, so perhaps putting it carefully away for the few years that we have a young family is the smart thing to do? What do you think? What do you all do with your heirlooms? I'd love to hear.

Taking a Minute

2011-07-30T11:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the lack of post yesterday, we have been busy enjoying our time with visiting family and playing with the baby. And cooking and eating a lot! I have been taking lots of pictures though, so I'll be back next week with full posts of all of our adventures. But for now, these pics below will give you a sense of what today is all about. I hope you are all having a lovely weekend!!

I bet you all think we use some fancy authentic from-scratch pancake recipe, right? Wrong! Bisquick original only for us, trans fats and and whole milk all the way! Mmmm, mmmm, good.

DIY: Make Your Own Inspiration Board

2011-07-28T09:19:00.004-04:00

Good morning all, here is the little DIY project I promised you yesterday! There are loads of ways to customize this project and make it your own with different fabrics and sizes. I made mine very plain, because I knew I'd be hanging a lot of jewelry on it, but if you plan to use it as a bulletin board or organizational center it would be really fun to use a more splashy fabric! The base I used for the board is called Homasote, and you can get it at your local home center. It is a soundproofing material made from recycled paper and soft enough to put pushpins in. Oh, and please excuse how close up all the photos are, I had to take them myself, so it was hard to back up far enough and still hold the stapler! I hope it is clear enough to follow. Feel free to hit me up with questions if you get stuck somewhere, and if any of you try this project out I'd love to see pics of the finished product! Happy crafting!

Enjoying a Little Jane Austen Moment

2011-07-27T15:17:00.000-04:00

I spent the afternoon arranging flowers and making the house pretty for a long awaited visit from TH's parents; what a luxurious afternoon of girly domesticity!

New Inspiration Board!

2011-07-27T11:35:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of my new inspiration board, filling up with new work and more plans for my booth at NYIGF next month. This was a great and inexpensive project that anyone could tackle at home, so stay tuned for tomorrows DIY post with all the info you'll need to build one yourself!

Counting

2011-07-26T09:17:00.000-04:00

one. . .

two. . .

five. . .

six. . .

nine!

and that's about where we're at.

When Good Root Cellars Go Bad

2011-07-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

Yikes! The purple potatoes are trying to take over the world! And I'm not even going to show you the squash, leeks, or onions. We have definitely learned our lesson about throwing things out at the first sign of mold. Truly no need to wait for complete putrefaction! (Putrefaction: not a word I ever expected to use on Campestral!)