The Other Side of Somewhere

Treats

At Art & Soul, they have a vendor night where, well, vendors, hawk their wares.  Everything from original art from Rock Star Artists (usually the teachers) to ephemera and vintage goodies, to art supplies of all kinds.  I usually try to buy myself something special on vendor night.  It's something I save for.  This year I didn't go into vendor night with a specific thing in mind, instead waiting for something to speak to me. 

Well.

That something screamed to me the moment I walked in the venue. 

   

I bought this little (3" x 4") handmade journal from Doris Arndt.  I love the size! The inside papers are lovely and will hold up to water media.  The binding is so detailed and exquisite.  *swoon*  This was just the thing to commemorate a retreat defined by visual journaling classes.  I'm both excited and terrified to work in such a beautiful book.

And speaking of treats ... I received this little treat from Mr. P. today:

Precious (Exhibit A)

When I first started using antique paper ephemera in my work, I was too afraid to use originals of anything.  Over the years, I've relaxed a bit and except for my antique photograph collection, I almost always use the original items: sheet music, ledger pages, tickets, envelopes, etc.

There are still a few items in my stash I can't bear to rip up, cut out, tear apart, or otherwise alter, not because the paper itself is so precious, but because the stories (and the mysteries) behind the pieces of paper are.

Case in point, the above collection of letters, membership cards, a handwritten song, and silvering photograph.  All of these items were bundled in the brown envelope on the top left.  It is a weird envelope - it looks like some kind of official business.  I thought it might be items returned to a family member after a war-related casualty, but the postmark is 1948 (Korean War era?) and none of the items inside are military-related.  Also the envelope is addressed to the same name as the one printed on the membership cards. 

The most fascinating piece in this entire collection is a letter from a woman to our mail recipient in which she reveals her love for him even as she confesses she has recently had a child with another man since the time the two last saw each other three years previous.  It is an astonishing revelation for the time. 

On the top of each page of her letter is a letter:  L. (on page 1).  O. (on page 2). V. (on page 3). and E. (on page 4).  It's a little detail that touches my heart.  I wonder if the woman in the photo is our clever letter writer?  I wonder if this story had a happy ending?

Although there is enough information to give a good sleuth a solid starting point for piecing together the story, I'm content just to keep these items in a safe place, away from my scissors.

The Ing-ing Post

AnticipatING:

• Ann Patchett's new book, Run.
• Project Runway's long awaited Fourth Season.
• The next season of Dancing with the Stars. (I really want to be a contestant. I live vicariously through the cast of "B" movie, tv, and sport stars.  *sigh*).
• The arrival of fall:
  
  
  Photo credits: 1. photo bog 2. cinnamon sticks 3. Furled 4. striped tights and a pumpkin 5. flamenco 6. Pumpkins 7. Sea of Pumpkins 8. A Bowl of Sage: slowly progressing 9. happy thanksgiving everyone!

ReadING:

• Judy Wise
• Papiers Colles
• Simply Mein
• The Urban Housewife

CreatING:
I have been tasked with an interesting assignment.  It involves working with clothing, which, if you know me, is ironic and very amusing.  My fashion "sense" consists of Old Navy t-shirts and jeans with one pair of shoes for fall/winter and a pair sandals for summer.  Fashion is NOT my forte.  That's what makes this assignment such an interesting challenge.  As I'm working with scissors and needle and thread (and collage) I almost feel like a contestant on Project Runway (without Santino making snarky comments behind my back, or Jeffrey making snarky comments to my face, swearing at me, and making me want to die because I don't know how to use the industrial grade sewing machine).

Dreaming in Flour

Baking a cake served as my creative outlet today.

I made a Blackout Cake (slathered with Blackout Cream - swoon - ), from a recipe in this cookbook.

It took about 90 minutes, required 2 trips to 3 different grocery stores, 7 bowls, 2 mixers, 1 pot, and various and assorted spatulas, spoons, knives, measuring cups and spoons, colanders, and 1 whisk.

I think it will end up being a death by chocolate cake. There is a lot of chocolate involved in this cake.

The fun in this is in the doing, not necessarily the eating (I tend to eat less when I cook, though of course I get spoon licking privileges).

{This is where I insert a cake photo worthy of a home and lifestyle magazine.}

Well, ok, not.  But you get the idea.

I would love to own an old-school bakery.  The kind that whips up frothy and sweet things in the wee hours of the morning while the rest of the world sleeps.  The kind where the bakery case is filled with pretty and yummy treats for the hurried commuter.  A bakery where your selections are placed in a wax- paper-lined pink cardboard box, tied with real string.  A bakery where the coffee is always hot and fresh, and everything is served with a smile.  And for some odd reason, I'd also like to have a bakery that served soup.  A bakery, soup, place.

Think it would go over well?

Well, at least I'd be sure to have ONE happy customer ...

Fancies

Busy week with out of town visitors and work.  Not much time (or energy) for anything creative (though I crave creative time).  Just enough time and inclination to savor these photographic fancies from my flickr favorites. 

Enjoy!

Photo Credits:

1. 52 Weeks...Week 8, 2. “When the music changes, so does the dance”, 3. Jana - Look Who's Here!, 4. Ooh Rah!, 5. Bridget and Me, 6. balance, 7. blue bird keychain, 8. midsummer mandala, 9. Untitled, 10. cup of cake, 11. cuppncake, 12. QP THE GIANT SAYS HI. ^^, 13. Spring 1974, 14. Kitchen Pickin', 15. in my streets, 16. Muttsy the Well Rounded, 17. opioid-tolerant, 18. strawberries bear, 19. Untitled, 20. Week 18: Kolla, 21. the laughs won't be the same, 22. touch, 23. Baby cats, 24. It's a Small World, 25. Forget.Me.Not

Sunday

1. everyday colour - red, 2. chalklove!, 3. one for me, one for you, 4. Harajuku girls

***

These photos make me smile!  In fact, I never tire of looking through my flickr favorites.  When I am feeling lackluster and bored, my flickr favorites never fail to inspire me.  What about you ... do you have a flickr album?

I'm waiting for butter to soften, and eggs and milk to come to room temperature so I can get to work on cupcakes (ala Magnolia Bakery) for Mr. P's birthday tomorrow.

Hope you and yours are having as lovely a Sunday as we are ... the weather is cool and breezy (and drier than usual).  Pure bliss!

P.S. Don't forget about my little raffle.