domicile

Two Fun things on the Internets

• Amazing Black Bean Brownies Recipe using agave nectar as a sweetener. Many of you seemed as keen on agave as me and I have to say this whole black bean thing is intriguing.
• Loobylu is blogging again!

Exciting Things Currently

Cool things on other blogs at the moment:

• Colleen Baran is collecting stories of love for a jewelry series. Collen makes gorgeous jewelry, which you can buy here.
• Felicia's book is now available to be purchased and delivered to your door. Congrats Felicia!
• Heidi Swanson has kicked off a new series of posts with cookbook reviews by style/trendsetters. The first one features the oh-so-talented Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge Online. (Grace is one of the many savvy business ladies profiled in our book; it amazes me just how much she manages to get done in a day).
• This is really a pretty old one, but I came across Cinnamon Cooper's (of Poise Bags) DIY Chalkboard Vase article the other day and think it's awfully swell. I may try to get the time/energy together to make some of these as gifts next holidays. (We also profiled Cinnamon in our upcoming book; such smart ladies).

Out and About

Internet happenings of note:

• Not Martha makes lasagna in a Baker's Edge pan. I have to admit that pan struck me as too gimicky when I first heard of it, but Megan's selling me on it pretty hard. I'm not sure I could do the non-stick coating though.
• Felicia has conquered the scone!
• Alex got herself an Electra Dutch bike. So pretty. My bike is very close to these in style, but with 21 gears, which is nice as I commute across town. My only regret with my bike is that it doesn't have a skirt guard and so I am constantly tying my skirts up in a bunch to one side to protect them from my spokes. Very unlady-like.
• Beata is taking her eye for lovely fabrics/patterns to new heights of darling with her appliqué design and felted wool.
• And, if you're inspired by the wonderful work of little softies, do visit the new Hand Sewing Wee Wonderfuls group at Flickr. Sigh, how I wish there were more hours in the day.

A Day Late

I had every intention yesterday of posting links to a few lovely bits and pieces spotted around the web this past week as a kind of Friday respite, but then my day went to the dogs (and not the nice soft puppy kind of dogs) and before I new it was 5 o'clock and I needed a cocktail more than time on the interweb. So, instead here it is on Saturday morning:

• Orla Kiely wallpaper (one pattern shown to the right). Nuff said really, but I'll say it again: Orla Kiely wallpaper. Fortunately (for my pocketbook) almost all of the walls in our house are covered in this weird spackle-y stuff so there's no way to actually paper them without redoing the entire walls. That said, perhaps a bit of this in the kitchen behind the counters/below the cupboards would be good. I think it would be fabulous actually.
• Beata's gorgeous felt valentines. Oh my goodness is she a talented gal.
• Creative Dragonfly's awesome dragonfly apron from the Amy Butler In Stitches pattern. I've had the pleasure of seeing this in person and it is really darling. Another great pattern from Amy.
• Alex's Denmark photos are all like little postcard daydreams. Oh how I long to go back.

Now, off of the computer and down to the sewing room. Time to do something with my latest Fabricana scores and that Amy Butler business.

Mary Jane's Farm

Did any of you know about Mary Jane's Farm? I sure didn't and I found it in the strangest of places. I'm still not totally certain how to describe Mary Jane's Farm to be honest, but I'm almost 100% certain that most of you will find it an inspiring read as I did. Here's what I can tell you:

• It is a magazine. Kind of. It has no ads. And Mary Jane (who is on the cover there) sell various mail order organic food mixes and things, which you can purchase through the order form at the back of the magazine.
• Mary Jane Butter runs the magazine (with one of her daughters and a roster of some other highly creative lovely folks).
• The articles, news snippets, letters, recipes and patterns (yes this issue had patterns more on that later) are written by Mary Jane, her friends and reader submissions.
• Mary Jane does indeed have a farm. It seems to be organic. And lovely.
• Mary Jane may also run a delightful B&B at this farm, but I gleaned that kind of on the side and it may not be true.
• This issue of Mary Jane's farm is centred around the theme of Aprons and if you're an Apron lover (like me and of course the large tibe of Tie One On folks) you will adore this issue for that fact alone. It includes several apron patterns in the issue and you can also order some of the other apron patterns from Mary Jane, the range around $8 USD per pattern.
• Mary Jane seems to regularly include recipes for vegan jello mold delights that are perversely intriguing to me and toweringly gorgeous in the photographs.
• And for the true design/crafty/photo geeks out there the typography, photos and design is pretty darn lovely to look at.

This was one of the richer and more inspiring magazines I've picked up in recent memory. The articles are admittedly of varying quality and really harken back to my own 'zine days (some of you will remember me as one of the editors of Soapboxgirls.com) when we would pick a theme and get all the gals we knew to write personal essays on that theme. As I mentioned above, this month's theme is aprons so there are pieces about sewing, apron memories, home economics adventures and more. And lest this is all sounding too precious Mary Jane sees aprons as primarily the uniform of women who get shit done (my own use of foul language but something tells me she would approve). Aprons are for gardening, cleaning, fixing cars, carpentry, making art, etc. In other words, aprons aren't just for cookies and vegan jello molds, though they're useful there too.

There are back issues of Mary Jane's Farm available and I'm tempted to buy the whole darn lot. Nestled in amongst the personal essays and stitchery patterns are hints on organic living, gardening, crafting glories and really just some beautiful imagery. I can't sum this magazine up in one small sentence (as I've duly proven), but I have a feeling that this Mary Jane gal isn't too easy to pin down either. Strangely, I found it at Chapters (while killing time waiting for Martin) and unless I do decide to subscribe I may end up having to troll their magazine isles regularly so I don't miss out on the  next issue.

Too Late for Holiday Shipping?

Like many folks out there, I am an unabashed lover of Lori's work. I'm a little sad that I've already covered off gifts for most of the wee folks that would benefit from a copy of the children's book she's just illustrated, but once this year's holiday is over I may just order a stockpile of these to pass onto wee ones over the year. If you're in the States it looks like there's still a reasonable amount of time to get your copies from Lulu.com.

Martin Needs A PayPal Account

So much of the bits and bobs I would like to see tagged with my name under the tree (though this year we're only doing one gift each) live online. Or at least that's where I come across them. As usual I have a big ol'crush everything at Alexa's LilleHus Store, though am particularly smitten with that apron there (all those images there come from Alexa's shop). I'd happily take most anything off Grace's various gift suggestions over at Design*Sponge. And that really only begins to touch on all the awesome crafty-arty-inspired goodness that gals are producing online. And while I would be a very ungrateful lady indeed to complain about the places that Martin usually sources my gifts (we both work in Gastown, one of Vancouver's best local clothing/art/coolstuff neighbourhoods and my gifts are usually bought on a mad dashed lunch break from 'round these parts), I have to say my consumer lust for this winter has a strong online leaning. I guess it's a hazard that comes from spending most of my days online. Le sigh.

It's SUPERfantastico

My "make-my-own" holiday gifts project is still moving along fairly nicely, though I did take a wee bit off time off for birthday week. But while I'm making good progress on the gifts themselves, I'm already suspecting that I may run out of steam for things like homemade tags and the like, which is why I'll be thrown' down my $3.50 (!$3.50 what a deal!) for tags made by the more than fantastic Ms.SUPERfantastico Gayla Trail herself. Gayla has relaunched the SUPERfantastico site recently with more goondess like her awesome Recyclopedia Stationery and a vertiable bevvy of button-y delights (I love those brown and orange ones). Plus: $3.50 for super cool gift tags? Sold.

Get Our Your Stamps!

  2006 Octopus Christmas card 
  Originally uploaded by lori joy.

If you're a card sending kinda person -- and I am -- then this is a particularly fun time of year. I adore getting out my address book, lining up my stamps and a good pen and sitting down to write my holiday cards. I used to kind of dread this as another chore, but now I enjoy the quiet reflection time it gives. My unofficial start date is typically the day after my birthday, so I've been getting ready with my cards already purchased, my addresses all up to date and new stamps waiting to go.

Last year I made cards, but this year with other things going on, and because I have decided to make a number of my gifts this year, I decided to go the store bought route. I bought mine from a lovely little paper store in Victoria this weekend called the Papery (on Fort at Broad Street). That was kind of a double cop out really, as I would have loved to have purchased some handmade cards from one of the many, many awesome designers out there on the interweb, but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by my choices and wanting to get something in hand so I would have a hope of getting things to overseas relatives in time.

That said, for those of you not quite as keen as me, there's still plenty o'time to get some lovely handmade goodness. The top of my list is definitely Lori's set for this year, I adore that octopus. You can buy it here at Lori's store. Renee also sent me a really beautiful card that came in a lovely little parcel last week (more details on that to be posted here soon). I'm totally in love with blue and red these days and in fact slowly trying to convince Martin to do our kitchen in those colours. You can buy the cards at HeatherJeany's Etsy Store. And, if those two picks just aren't enough options for you, prepare to be totally overwhelmed with papery-goodness with Poppy's Holiday Card Guide. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Every one.

Calendar Girl

Something like this happens to me every year, but this year is already getting out of hand. I want/already have/am sure I will acquire far more calendars than I actually need. I already ordered one of these from Diana Fayt a few weeks ago, unable to resist that white enamel pot in what looks like it might be August. I talked myself into that one by deciding I would put it up at the office, so that I could once again have a Camilla Engman in the kitchen at home. I was given a lovely and entirely useful wildflower themed calendar for my birthday this weekend, which should surely come into service. And then I get to my computer this morning to see that Ms. Gayla has put together a stunning You Grow Girl option (see the image below) which I'm just itchin' to acquire. In fact I think I can go so far as to say that I *need* Gayla's calendar because it looks to be both gorgeous and useful. Damn her. And still, every year I promise myself a Nikki McClure calendar (a promise I've yet to fulfil). I'm beginning to think that I may just have to devote one wall to a kind of calendar collage though I fear that will somehow make me feel too conscious of the passing of time. So we'll see. I may get my thrills vicariously through purchasing some of these lovelies as gifts.