Urban Comfort

Carrot Cupcakes

   
My son is on a carrot kick lately (who can understand the inner workings of the toddler mind?), and I told him we could make carrot cupcakes.  He seemed delighted but dubious at the prospect that carrots could be transformed into dessert. So we played hooky today and made cupcakes together. I used an old carrot cake recipe and simply baked it in cupcake form, but they weren't at all what I wanted. The batter rose and then flattened out in my cupcake liners and the resulting cake seemed dense and oily and altogether too heavy for the light, spring cupcake I was really craving. On to batch number two.

Armed with some baking fundamentals, five recipes, and a vision of what I wanted (sans toddler, who was happy with the first batch), I wrote out a recipe, crossed my fingers, and got really, really lucky!  I'm so happy with this recipe. It's probably not at all like the carrot cakes you've eaten in the past, but I think it's such a great springtime recipe. I grated the carrots so finely that they practically melt into the batter.  The crumb is very tender and moist, and incredibly light, while the flavor is bright and almost citrusy. The cupcakes rise and dome nicely as they bake, making them easy to frost as well. This is definitely a keeper for me and such a kid friendly cupcake!  I didn't include nuts, per my son's request, but if you want to add them, I suggest chopping them finely and adding them to the batter at the end. 

Carrot Cupcakes 
(makes 12 cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 Tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. Whisk the carrot, eggs, buttermilk, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla together in a mixing bowl. 

3. Whisk all the dry ingredients together in another bowl, then add to the liquid mixture.  Stir well with a wooden spoon. Stir in walnuts, if using.

4. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Tops will spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted will come out almost clean. Let them cool in their pan for a few minutes then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

 

 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat the butter and cream cheese together on high speed until smoothy and creamy. Add sifted confectioners sugar and stir to combine, then beat on high speed until smooth. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.

Favorites: Spray Paint

 
As a crafter, I go through a lot of craft supplies every year. I'm always happy to try new products, but in the end, new or old, I use the products that work best for any given project. I try to give my preferences when I supply craft tutorials (by now, everyone probably thinks I have a stake in Beacon adhesives), but occasionally I'd like to focus on a particular material, so I'm going to introduce a new category today - Favorites. 

I'll start with spray paint. I love the ease of spray paint, but it's difficult to find a sophisticated color palette among the mass market brands. In New York, I stumbled onto Belton Molotow spray paint. I used to find it in skate shops and wait my turn among hundreds of teenage boys. (I've been told it's one of the favored paints for graffiti artists, so you know it's durable.) It comes in more than 180 colors and the range is quite spectacular.  Most of the paint comes in a flat finish, which I am partial to, and coverage is superb. The low pressure nozzle gives you more control over the paint, and no drips.  It can also be used for indoor or outdoor projects, be used in extreme temperatures, and covers any surface. And for Pantone addicts, there's a chart that matches Belton paint colors to their closest Pantone counterpart.

Belton is my favorite, but another good brand is Montana Hardcore. I was persuaded to use it when my favorite Belton colors were out of stock and it worked very well. The finish wasn't as matte as Belton, but close enough, and I spray painted several chandeliers with it (in a garage, in the middle of January, at the tail end of a blizzard). When your paint works in those conditions, you know it's good paint.

If you can't find exactly what you're looking for when tackling your next painting project, check out one of these brands. Both paints can be purchased online at Art Primo.  

Divine Indeed

 

I'm a big fan of gifts, so I was delighted to find a lovely little sampling of Divine Twine in my mailbox last week. You've probably seen Divine Twine making its way across the craft blogs, but I thought I'd add my two cents as well. It's everything that I've always wanted bakers twine to be, but better than what's been available.  For one thing, it's thicker than regular bakers twine, which makes it stand out better, and the color is sharper.  And color!  That's what really makes this twine.  As of the summer, there will be eight different colors to choose from.  I love it!

I'm sure I'll use it on packages, but I always need birthday cards and tags for kids. I whipped up a few cards here, using paper scraps and rubber stamps. I also used a fine-tip applicator and white craft glue. (Fine-tip applicators are usually sold in the glass paint section of the craft store, but you can use Martha Stewart Crafts glittering glue, which has a fine-tip applicator on it.) For simple detailing, just add a strip of Divine Twine to add dimension.  You can also let it take center stage by outlining a number or initial. To do that, make a template from a computer font and trace around it lightly with a pencil. Use the fine-tip applicator to apply glue over the traced line and then guide the Divine Twine around the outline. For best results, use sharp scissors to trim the ends (I like Fiskars Micro-tip scissors.)

Divine indeed!

 

 

Spring Flowers

  

I'm honored to be guest blogging over at To Be Charmed today! You can get tutorials for two DIY projects, including the vintage style paper daffodils pictured above.  And while you're there, stick around to find more crafting inspiration, especially how Elizabeth's incorporated washi tape into her Easter decor. Enjoy!

Get the tutorial for paper daffodils here.

 
Get the tutorial for the Daffodil Place Settings here.  

Thread-Wrapped Eggs

  

I'm up to my ears in crafts and deadlines this week, so I thought I'd share inspiration from someone else today.  Remember these eggs from Martha Stewart Living?  They were so beautiful and intricate looking in the magazine, but they're really quite easy to make.  A not particularly crafty friend and I set out to make these one spring, and it's safe to say that we both became obsessed. It's the perfect craft for anyone who appreciates soothing, repetitive movements (like knitting) and doesn't require any special skill beyond patience. Medium-to-large sized eggs probably take about an hour to complete, but you can save them for many years to come.  Single, large eggs make nice hostess gifts (pair it with a glass candleholder and the recipient has an instant display stand) and smaller eggs make great place settings, housed in egg cups.  

Resources:

Get the egg how-to here. We found our Styrofoam eggs and some of the perle cotton thread at Michaels. However, you can find a wider range of perle thread colors at Herrschners.  We kept the embellishments simple - tiny flowers, thin cording, and silk ribbons. We found a number of our flowers at Tinsel Trading and our ribbons and trims at M&J Trimming.  

Tip: You can also use inexpensive flowers that you find at dollar stores and craft stores - just look for flowers that have a more matte finish and are reasonably small. I find that when you pull inexpensive flower arrangements and floral picks apart, the single elements look better alone than they do arranged. I also find millinery flowers at thrift stores and vintage clothing stores. Often, the flowers from a single hat can be enough for multiple projects.)

Oral Histories and the Southern Foodways Alliance

  
Strangely, one of the things I miss from my former life in Los Angeles is the morning and afternoon commute.  I would get stuck in my car for an hour each way, mostly idling, listening to National Public Radio. It's true that I could listen to NPR every day without the commute, but I find that I never do. Working from home is an entirely different thing. 

My favorite features on NPR have always been the oral histories of seemingly ordinary people. I would sit, captivated, drawn into a world that I couldn't see but could feel, sensing the history, the roadmap of their lives, all in the sound of their voices. Those stories sent me all over the country, while trapped amidst five lanes of cars.

I had a familiar rush of joy the other day when I discovered the Southern Foodways Alliance. The name of the organization was vaguely familiar, but that was all. It started with a search for the best boudin in Louisiana, which led to a documentary, which led down a rabbit hole of interesting food projects, then ended with an interactive food map that plots oral history locations throughout the Southern region. I'm always up for a road trip, and the idea of traveling the South, searching for the next good meal, well, that's just one version of heaven for me. 

If you have a love of Southern food or people, you should visit their site. Sit back and listen to the stories of those who take pride in what they produce, and you'll taste the food and sense the history, even if you never leave your chair.

Quick links for a few Southern Foodway Alliances documentaries:

Southern Gumbo Trail

Southern Boudin Trail

Southern BBQ Trail

Some of my favorite NPR oral histories:

The Sunshine Hotel

Ghetto Life 101

The Jewish Giant

Brewer Bell Museum

Last Day at the Automat

(This just a small sampling of oral histories and documentaries. There are countless others at Sound Portraits and This American Life.)

{Image via}

 

Pancakes & Syrup

 
 Simple buttermilk pancakes are one of those foods that appeal to me in theory, but often disappoint in reality. They're either rubbery and fake tasting, thin and wishy washy, or so heavy and dense that they turn into bricks an hour later. I'm really not that hard to please. I just like good pancakes. 

Now, I get my best pancakes at home. I tried a number of recipes over the years, some from sources that I really didn't expect to disappoint, but I didn't stop testing recipes until I tried this one (I know it's from Food Network, but it definitely wasn't from a celebrity chef). This is my go-to recipe. The pancakes are not too thin or too thick, not too dry or dense...perfect, I would say.  If you like bananas or nuts or blueberries, add them. This recipe works well with add-ins, too.

To top it all off, I'm also giving you a couple of syrups I've devised over the years. The peach syrup can be made right on the spot. The fig syrup takes a little advance preparation, as the figs have to cook for a while, but it can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for the long term. 

This is one of my favorite weekend rituals to share with my husband and son. I hope you'll make them a part of your weekend as well!

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter

1. Combine the dry ingredients; whisk to mix.

2. Whisk together egg whites and buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.

3. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the dry ingredients. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together (don't try to work all the lumps out) and cook as desired.

*In my house, I cook these pancakes in a buttered cast iron skillet. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you should get one! They're inexpensive, easy to maintain after initial seasoning, and give pancakes a wonderful crispy edge. I couldn't live without mine.

Peach Syrup

3-4 medium sized peaches, quartered (no peeling necessary)
1 cup breakfast syrup

Puree peaches in a blender (I love my handy immersion blender for tasks like this), strain, and add to 1 cup syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer on the stove. Serve warm over buttermilk pancakes.

Fig Syrup
(yields approximately 1 2/3 cup syrup)

1 lb. dried figs (Whole Foods carries dried figs in bulk, year-round)
2 cups demerara sugar (or other brown sugar)
4 cups water

Quarter the dried figs and put them in a medium saucepan.  Add sugar and water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and let boil for a minute or two, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Strain, pressing on the figs to release any juice. If syrup doesn't feel thick enough, return it to the saucepan and simmer for another 15-20 minutes (note that the syrup will thicken up upon cooling). Set aside to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.

Have a great weekend!  See you next week.

{Image via}

Online Magazines

 
  Image via Southern Flourish

For as long as I can remember, going to the newsstand has been a constant in my life. It's true that subscriptions are more cost-effective, and certainly I've subscribed to my share of magazines over the years, but there's always been something about going to the newsstand and discovering a treasure that has been alluring to me.  What can I say?  I love the ritual.  

But it seems like every day another magazine closes its doors. We've lost Domino, Country Living, Home Companion, Gourmet...the list feels never-ending. At the same time, I keep seeing more online magazines cropping up. The newest venture, Southern Flourish, just launched its premiere issue this week, and I'm hoping it will stick around. True, I am a Southerner, and have a vested interest in all things Southern, but I think it's a fresh, young approach to the Southern style, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with. Utilizing great talent like Liz Demos (the opener of her flower arranging story is pictured above) will certainly help them reach a sophisticated and style savvy audience.

Another online magazine I'm enjoying is Lonny Magazine, what I think of as my Domino replacement.  It's inspiring and full of interior design and great ideas.  My only complaint is the slow flip time - I'm a mom, we've got to move a little faster to get everything done.  But it's also possible that I just haven't figured out how to control the speed.

I will forever love the newsstand, and I will forever experience fresh heartbreak when a magazine closes its doors and isn't replaced with something else. But I will also be open-minded and embrace what technology has to offer us. And if all online magazines are easy to flip through, contain fresh and inspiring content, and give me the option of saving their pages in the same way that I collect stacks of tear sheets, well, I just might become a true convert.

How about you? Do you embrace the new technology?  Are there online magazines that you love? I'd love for you to share your thoughts on this subject, along with any online magazines that I might be missing out on.  

 

Something Green

 
There are no shamrocks here today, but I thought I'd give you something green anyway.  The illustration shown is from an early trade card, and I think it would make a great cover for a gardening notebook or note cards for the gardener in your life. Personally, I enlarged it and turned it into an iron-on transfer for a canvas market bag. 

What will you do with it?

Download High Resolution Image

Vintage Style Cupcake Toppers

 

I've always loved the little spun cotton toppers that were prevalent during the 1930's. I've collected them here and there over the years, but I can never bear to part with them. I'm sure this is a character flaw, but there you have it. The good news is that the supplies are more readily available these days, making it easy to create your own.

I had purchased the bunny and duck picks years ago, at Tinsel Trading, one of my all time favorite stores. I don't remember if they're vintage or vintage replica, but I love them just the same. This year, I decided to give them a friend and made a lamb.

Should you be inspired to make your own toppers, I've included resources and tips for you below:

  

Materials: The most specialized material that you'll need are the pressed (or spun) cotton balls.  You can order them from at least two online sources, D. Blümchen and A Child's Dream Come True being the ones I'm most familiar with.  The balls pictured here are 1-inch in diameter. (But don't overlook some of the other shapes available on D. Blümchen - a radish or lemon shape, mixed with a ball, could make a cute bird topper.  You can also make mushrooms, carrots, etc.)  The rest of the supplies can be picked up at your local craft store: 

• acrylic paint (I also think you could use chalks instead of paint)
• small natural sponge
• thin (4mm) pipe cleaners (if you can't locate these, try Dick Blick online.
• crepe paper (I prefer to use thicker florist crepe paper, but experiment - try streamers or layer two sheets of thin crepe paper together.)
• thin sheets of patterned paper (you can use this to create hats, bow ties, collars, etc.)
• small round stenciling brush (this is good if you want to make round circles on cheeks, like I did with the lamb.)
• paper flowers - scalloped style (I buy mine in the scrapbook section. They make perfect ruffled collars.)
• round toothpicks
• quick-setting craft glue (I use Beacon 3-in-1 craft glue for this)
• scissors (LOVE Fiskars Micro-tip scissors for projects like this)
• extra fine-tipped permanent marker, such as india ink
• craft knife, such as X-acto (not pictured) This is helpful if you want to insert any of the embellishments into the head. For instance, the ears on the bunny were inserted into a small slit that had been cut in the head. You'd add a little glue and then insert them right into that shallow slit.

Tips:

1. Painting: To paint these, I used a very tiny amount of acrylic craft paint (for the lamb, "Vintage White" and "Ballet Pink," both by Folk Art), applied with a slightly damp piece of natural sponge. I applied it in quick, pouncing motions (rather than strokes).  You should use the paint so sparingly that the ball is almost dry by the time you finish painting it.  If this sounds intimidating, don't worry. You'll pick it up quickly and it takes only a few seconds per ball.  The idea is to lightly coat it and if there's some mottling involved, that will only add to its vintage style appeal. (As I noted in the supply list, I think that chalks would work on these as well, either to color the entire ball or to add color, such as pink cheeks.)

2. Embellishing: Vintage picks were usually decorated with humble craft items - a little crepe paper, chenille pipe cleaners, scraps of paper, sometimes a little floss for hair, and a black, fine-tipped pen to create the facial features. You could also consider tiny buttons, snippets of feathers, tiny pom-poms, etc. 

3. Facial Features: Keep it simple and don't worry about your drawing abilities (I have none!). Vintage pieces were rarely ever perfect and clearly made by hand. It only adds to their charm. You can always practice sketching out some faces on a piece of scrap paper before beginning. Also, it will get easier as you get used to drawing on the cotton. 

4. Make Templates: If you plan to make a bunch of these, make templates (for ears, hats, etc.) from card stock and then just hold it over the crepe paper to use as a guide. This will save you a lot of time in the future. 

Steps for the lamb:

1. Paint the ball, if desired, using the technique described above.

2. Make the curls by wrapping a thin pipe cleaner (I used the entire stem) around a thin dowel or skewer, then hand form the loops into a rough oval shape. Glue that onto the top of the ball and hold with your fingers for a minute or two, until the glue sets. 

3. Cut ears (like the ones pictured above) out of crepe paper and glue them to the sides of the head, pushing the straight edges of the crepe paper just under the curls on the head. This will eliminate any harsh lines.

4. Draw a simple face. After you've drawn the face, you can apply a pink circle of paint on each cheek.

5. Push a toothpick through a paper flower. Add a little glue to the end of the toothpick and a little inside the paper flower. Push them into the pre-drilled hole on the cotton ball until they're secure. Trim the point off the bottom end of the toothpick.

If anyone decides to make these, or any other designs, please send photos. I'd love to see what the crafting community comes up with, AND you'd be helping revive a lost art!

A Tisket, A Tasket...

  

I do some design work for Making Memories, and one of the perks is that they send me packages of great products to work with.  Now, I'm not a scrapper, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone more excited about scrapbook supplies. From the time the first papers started rolling off the press, I've been using everything I can get my hands on. There are just so many things to do with all the wonderful supplies available.

When I received Making Memories' new spring line, Flutter, my thoughts immediately turned to Easter. I decided to make small baskets, inspired by both cupcake liners and some old French jelly jars that had the same silhouette. I think these are so sweet and easy to make. I hope you'll craft a bunch to give away or to adorn an Easter table. Here's the how-to:

Materials: 

Making Memories heavyweight scrapbook paper 
Complementary solid colored card stock
Paper trimmer (or ruler, craft knife, and cutting mat)
Scallop edged scissors - regular and mini scallops (optional)
Scoring board with bone folder (or bone folder, ruler, and cutting mat with measurements)
2 1/8-inch circle punch (or trace around something approximately that size)
18-gauge floral wire and wire cutters
Crepe paper streamers or a narrow strip cut from a sheet of crepe paper (optional)
Quick-drying glue (I prefer Beacon 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue) 
Making Memories Flutter felt stickers or blossoms and buttons box

Directions: 

1. Cut a strip of heavyweight scrapbook paper that measures 2 1/4-by-12-inches. With a bone folder, score 1/4-inch creases along the length of the paper strip. If desired, trim along the top edge of the scored paper strip (most regular sized scallop edge scissors make 1/4-inch scallops, so you can line the scallops up with the scored creases).

2. Accordion fold the strip of paper and apply glue along one of the short edges. Attach the edges together so they form an accordion pleated circle. Push the bottom edges together to form a smaller circle, and gently stretch the top ones. This will give you a shape that resembles a cupcake liner.

3. Punch or cut a 2 1/8-inch circle (or an approximation of that size) from colored card stock, then glue that circle onto paper of a different color. Trim around the circle with the mini scalloped edge scissors. (If you don't want to trim around the circle with the scalloped scissors, just layer two circles together. This will reinforce the bottom of your basket.)

4. Apply glue along the bottom edge of your accordion pleated circle (I don't try to follow the pleats. I just apply it in a circle, applying enough that it will spread out a bit and adhere all of the paper.) and place the layered circle over the bottom. Turn your basket upright and use the circle as a guide to adjusting the folds of the paper. Set aside to dry.

5. Trim a piece of 18-gauge floral wire to 12 1/2-inches. Cut a narrow strip of crepe paper (you can cut the strip from a sheet of crepe paper or just fold a length of crepe paper streamer together and cut a strip) and glue it to the edge of the floral wire. Twist the crepe paper around until you've covered the whole wire. Tear off any excess and glue the edge to the wire. 

*This is another optional step. If you like the look of the floral wire as is, just trim the wire and go on to the next step.

6. Fold the floral wire into a u-shape and put glue on the outer edges, starting from the bottom and extending about 2 inches up. Insert the wire into the paper basket, nestling each end within a folded pleat. Embellish the basket as desired.  

If you decide to make these baskets, I hope you'll send me a photo. I know you will have your own personal touches to add.

Just a Cupcake

 
It looks like it's shaping up to be a week of whimsy here, so I thought I'd start off all the upcoming sweetness with a cupcake recipe. It's simple, yellow, and best when paired with sugary vanilla buttercream or milk chocolate frosting, and a glass of milk. It's a ridiculously easy recipe, created by Cook's Illustrated, and proof that good things come in small packages. 

Yellow Cupcakes
(makes 12)

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the butter, sour cream, egg, yolks, and vanilla and beat the wet ingredients into the dry at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and stir by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

3. Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared tin using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or a spoon. Bake until the cupcake tops are pale gold and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Use a skewer or paring knife to lift the cupcakes from the tin and transfer to a wire rack; cool the cupcakes to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

4. Spread 2 to 3 generous tablespoons of the frosting on top of each cooled cupcake; serve.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (from Magnolia Bakery)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until icing is thick enough to be of spreading consistency. (You may not need all of the sugar.) If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. Store at room temperature, in an airtight container, up to 3 days.

(Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes)

 

Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
10 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1. Heat the cream, salt, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe measuring cup on high until simmering, about 1 minute, or bring to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Place the chocolate in a food processor. With the machine running, gradually add the hot cream mixture through the fee tube; process 1 minute after the cream has been added. Stop the machine; add the confectioners' sugar and process to combine, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, add the butter through the feed tube 1 piece at a time; process until incorporated and smooth, about 20 seconds longer.

3. Transfer the frosting to a medium bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring frequently, until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.

(Makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes)

Be sure to stop by again on Tuesday. I'll show you some seasonal cupcake toppers you can make.

Photo by Chotda via Flickr

5 to Inspire

 
I don't know if I've been spring cleaning as much as sifting through the past. I was like that as kid, too. I would get sent to my room to clean it and emerge three weeks later, full of inspiration from the things I found under the bed, with the room looking about the same as it did when I went in.  Well, I try. 

I found a sketchbook that my husband and I started filling more than a decade ago, probably around the time we got engaged. It was our "house book," filled with clippings of all the things we imagined our dream home would contain. Eventually, we ran out of space in the book, along with accepting that we might not be long-term nesters until our later years.

I haven't looked at this book in a very long time, but what surprises me is how much I still love most of the rooms and ideas that we clipped. Either I had a clear sense of my style and comfort zone back then, or I've been stuck in a rut for a very long time. (Let's just go with the former, shall we?) I was also surprised to find that so many of the photos came from homes in New Orleans.  (You can take the girl out of New Orleans, but you can never take New Orleans out of the girl.)

Here are five of the clippings that I loved then and now. I would credit all of the pages, but unfortunately, I have no idea which magazines they came from. 

Happy Friday!

 
I know that this interior was designed by Sheila Bridges for a Harlem apartment. I LOVE this room. I want to live here.

  
I believe that this living room was in the New Orleans home of Mary Cooper. I love its spareness and simplicity, but it still exudes warmth to me. The bones of it feel very much like my living room now.

  
Industrial, vintage style rooms have always appealed to me. The LUNCH sign slays me!

 
I feel like I would do my best thinking here.

 
I love this bed and the floors.  But if this were my room, I'd eliminate the table and chairs (oh, and make the bed a queen size).  

 

 

Quick Craft: Button Magnets

 

Magazines prod us to purge and get organized in January, but I'm usually still recovering from the holidays then. The last thing I want to do after baking a hundred cakes and pies, wrapping what feels like 3000 gifts, and doing, doing, doing is color code the sock drawers. Instead, the urge takes over in the spring, just as the days start to feel longer and I get a little more energy. But I'm a firm believer that organization should be pretty, whenever possible.  Just a little effort here and there can make the whole process feel almost pleasant.

This is one of those small projects that please me. I was tired of digging through my drawers looking for yet another ugly "emergency" magnet, my whiteboard piling up with piece after piece of paper...so I pulled everything down and decided to start fresh. Rule #1: The magnets had to be pretty! Certainly I've seen fabric covered button magnets before, but I wanted a button that was oversized and bold. I found button covering kits at Michaels, with the upholstery and home decor supplies. They're generously sized, super easy to work with, and inspire me to tackle my fabric scrap basket next.  Oh, and you can make them in just a few minutes, so they won't take much out of your day. Here's the how-to:

Materials:

button covering kits
fabric scraps
fabric scissors
pliers
good adhesive or pop-up glue dots (*see note below)
ceramic magnets

 
You'll follow the instructions that come with your particular button covering kit, but this one is from Dritz and couldn't be easier. You cut the template from the back of the package, fold a scrap of fabric in half, and cut around the template. You put the fabric face down in the rubber mold, push the plastic button down into the mold, fold the fabric in, and cover it with the button shank. Push on the front of the rubber mold and the button pops right out. After that, I used pliers to trim as much of the shank as I could. Then I attached a magnet to the back, over the area where I'd trimmed the shank.  And that's it.

*About adhesives: Some button kits are made from plastic and some from metal. If you use a metal based kit, use a glue like the one pictured above. You can also try that one on plastic, but plastic is notoriously difficult to glue anything to. I tried something else instead and it worked well for me. I used pop up glue dots, which you can generally find in the scrapbook sections of craft stores or with specialty tapes and adhesives. The best part about these is that there's no drying time. 

And since I'm organizing, I thought I'd also direct you to some bloggers who've so generously supplied downloads that will keep you organized in style, as well as a few things that I think are just plain fun:

Get Excited and Make Things downloadable print from The Blah, Blah, Blahg

Task List, One Thing, and Healthy Goals List from Baca Creative

Keep Calm and Drink downloadable card from Whisker Graphics

Downloadable labels from The Rubber Punkin

2010 Calendar from Something's Hiding in Here

  

Black Pearl

  
It's early in the week and I already feel like I need a cocktail, so I thought I'd share one with you here instead. This drink is an Italian variation of the superb French Pearl cocktail created by Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club. I think it's a great drink for the season. It's not too summery, but not too wintery either - just like spring. 

Black Pearl

Small mint sprig (4-5 small leaves)
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup (see below)
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
fat 1/4 ounce Sambuca (which means over 1/4 ounce, but not quite 1/2 ounce)
2 ounces Plymouth gin 

Place all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker; shake well.  Strain (with a fine strainer) into a small, narrow martini glass. Garnish by floating an espresso bean on top.

Notes: 

1. Only garnish with an espresso bean if the surface area of your martini glass is small (otherwise, it will look like a bug floating around).  If your glasses are large, you can rinse the syrup from a Luxardo cherry and drop it in the bottom of your glass; they're so dark that they actually look black.  

Another note about Luxardo cherries - They are amazing, nothing like the bright red maraschino cherries that usually make their way into cocktails.  If you're serious about your cocktail ingredients, buy them! They're expensive, but worth it. A jar will garnish about 50 drinks (if you can stop yourself from eating them out of the jar, that is).  

2. I recommend Plymouth gin for this drink.  It won't taste the same with a harsher style of gin.

Simple Syrup:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Put both in a saucepan and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil; stir again to make sure sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.  Bottle it and store it in the fridge (up to a month).  Use it for cocktails, iced coffee, etc.

Tool Talk: Scoring Board

 
I've never been much of a gadget girl. I can resist most of the products that promise to make my life easier and more productive. But occasionally, a tool comes along that really does make it all easier and faster, which helps when you're a crafter (because anyone who makes things knows it can be really time consuming). At any rate, I found myself making a lot of rosettes recently and happened to stumble across a scoring board from Martha Stewart Crafts. I also happened to have one of those wonderful 40% off coupons that Michaels stores seem to give away every week, so $12 didn't feel like too much of an investment. I gave it a try and I'm so glad I did!

It comes with a bone folder and an envelope guide (both of which can be conveniently stored in the board), along with a booklet that tells you how to make your own envelopes and gift boxes.  I haven't gotten around to those yet, but if you're a paper crafter, I think this is a great tool to add to your arsenal.  It's perfect for card making and the aforementioned rosettes.  Thanks to my scoring board, I can make them quickly and the folds are perfect, to boot!

HOW TO MAKE ROSETTES:

 
Step 1:  Cut a strip of paper to the desired size (the smallest rosette in the top picture measures 3/4 x 10 inches, the medium 1 x 11 inches, and the larger 1 1/2 x 12 inches). There are no hard and fast rules about paper length and width, but generally, the wider your strip, the longer the paper will need to be in order to make a complete round. (If you decide to make a giant rosette, simply attach lengths of paper together with double-sided tape.) Once your paper is cut, score it with the bone folder (I scored the paper strip along every other line).

Step 2: Accordion fold the paper strip along the scored lines and place a strip of double-sided tape (or glue) along one edge.

Step 3: Bring the other edge of the accordion pleated strip around to meet the first (the edge with the adhesive) and secure. You should now have a pleated circle that resembles a cupcake liner. Turn it over and apply glue on the inner edges. Let it sit for a moment, until the glue gets tacky and starts to dry. (My preferred paper glue is shown above.)

Step 4: Bring the inner edges of the pleated strip together, so that they meet in the middle. Hold for a moment, until the glue starts to set. You can also weight the rosette with the glue bottle (or a small juice glass), until it dries.

Calas

 
New Orleans is a city that has always been more comfortable with the past than the future. It's a place, where in the early dawn hours, after all the revelers are tucked in their beds, one could walk through the Quarter and peer through the mist at banana trees and cathedrals, hear bagpipes in the distance, the whistle of the steamboat, and forget for a moment what century they were in. It's the details of this city that move me. Perhaps it's the details that move most of us here and allow us to keep the relics of the past so firmly in the present. 

So it is with calas, fried rice fritters that were once a breakfast staple in New Orleans, sold by women of African descent. Calas might have faded into oblivion had they not been revived by a few preservationists intent on keeping local tradition alive. Granted, should you find yourself caught in the French Quarter in these early dawn hours, in the blurred line between centuries, you will no longer hear the cries of the Creole calas woman hawking her wares, "Belle cala! Tout chaud!"  But at least it's now possible to duck into a restaurant or two and find them on the menu.  You can sink your teeth into their warm goodness and be transported yet again.  

RICE CALAS:

2 cups cooked, long grain rice (warm, but not hot)
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups vegetable oil (or enough to fill your skillet about 2 inches)
powdered sugar

Place rice in a large mixing bowl and mash the rice slightly, using the back of a wooden spoon.  Let it fully cool (5 or 10 minutes). Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir the yeast into the rice and beat it with a wooden spoon for a minute or two (the liquid will get absorbed into the rice).  Cover the mixing bowl with a clean dishtowel and set it in a warm place to rise, preferably overnight (but at least 2-3 hours). Once it has risen, blend in the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, salt and flour. Stir well and cover the bowl again. Set it in a warm place to rise for an additional 30 minutes. 

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, to approximately 350 degrees (use a candy thermometer, if you have one). Drop heaping tablespoons of rice batter into the hot oil and fry them 4-5 at a time until golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain.  Top each with powdered sugar and serve hot. (You can also serve these with preserves or cane syrup.)

As a side note, I found a recipe for calas (called "callers") in one of the city's oldest cookbooks, The Creole Cookery Book, first published in 1885. If you are interested in this cookbook, Google Books has created a free, digitized version that you can download.  I am so grateful to them for their hard work in making important, obscure books available to the public!

The original:  Take about 5 cents worth of rice, soak and pound it in a mortar; let stand over night, then add the yolks of 3 eggs, put in a dessertspoonful of yeast powder, enough flour to make a light batter, add the whites of the eggs well beaten; have a pot of boiling lard, and cook as for fritters. 

If you're visiting New Orleans, you can find calas at Elizabeth's (in fact, try everything on their brunch menu) or the Coffee Pot Restaurant at 714 St. Peter Street.

Font Fetish

 
I won't tell you how many fonts I have. It's a little ridiculous, actually. I love type. It's simply one of the greatest tools you can use in your creative endeavors. Here are some that I've been playing around with lately. They're all free and they're all available at dafont.com (except for Make Me Alpha, which is available on fontsy.com). 

 

 

 

 

 

Woodland Spring

  As I take a day to catch up with myself, I thought I'd share an idea from a magazine feature I did last year for Family Circle. I'm always drawn to woodland elements in decor, but especially in the spring, when shades of green begin to mingle with the residual gray of winter. Birch bark, often associated with winter decor, feels exactly right to me during this time, mixed with mossy greens and delicate spring flowers. 

An easy way to bring this outdoor element indoors is to cover plain terra cotta pots with pieces of birch bark. It doesn't require any particular skill beyond breaking up the bark with your hands and using a hot glue gun. (Don't be tempted to use other adhesives - the heat from the glue gun helps you mold the bark around the curves of the pot.)  You can make a batch of these in an afternoon. Here's how:  

BIRCH COVERED POTS:

Materials:  

Terra cotta pots in various sizes 
Sheets of birch bark 
Floral scissors 
Hot glue gun

Directions:  

1. Break the birch bark into manageable sized pieces (4 or 5 inches long), with jagged edges.  (Breaking it by hand, instead of with scissors, will give it jagged edges.)  

2. Glue the pieces onto a terra cotta pot, slightly overlapping the edges of the bark (minimizing harsh edges).   

3. Using floral scissors, cut strips of bark and glue around the top edge of the pot.

Tip:  Birch bark is very malleable, but some pieces are thicker than others.  If you find that your strip of birch bark is too thick, carefully peel off a layer or two from the back side. 

Good Earth Tip:  Only use birch bark that’s taken from fallen trees.

Not feeling crafty, but loving the color palette?  Mix greenery with galvanized planters to get the same effect.

  Photographs by David Prince

 

Secret Source

 

Image from Vintage Printable

Dyeing eggs was never supposed to be tortuous. But for a stylist, there are different rules. The eggs should be perfect, the colors uniform, and you need to dye 120 of them, or so, for a photo shoot that might feature a dozen of them in the end. Oh, and you'll need to prepare them over the New Year holiday, transport them from point A to B to C without breakage, and make sure they don't rot before the shoot (but don't refrigerate them, because then the colors might start to run).  It's a lot of pressure. Or at least it used to be.

About five years ago, I was on a trip and stopped at one of the many roadside Cracker Barrel stores. After appreciating their fine facilities, I wandered around the store a bit. And there they were, the most realistic fake eggs I have ever seen. I promptly bought a couple dozen and took them home to experiment with. It didn't take long to realize that they were the answer to my prayers. 

You can't dye them, but you can paint them with watered down acrylic craft paint and a damp piece of natural sponge (you just hold them between two fingers and dab  at them with the sponge, rotating as you go When the paint dries, go over any uneven spots). They dry almost immediately and absorb the paint evenly. You can glitter them, wrap them, stencil them, you name it. Since then, those eggs have made their way onto covers and in the pages of magazines (just like all of the eggs in yesterday's post), with no one the wiser. They're so realistic looking that at one photo shoot, the art director didn't realize they were fakes even when he was holding one in his hand.

It's my little secret that makes photo shoots easier. But it's also a great find for general crafters. Who wants to spend hours designing beautiful little eggs, only to throw them in the garbage a week later? And I've blown out a lot of eggshells in my lifetime - that's no picnic, either.  Now my secret's out. But please, don't buy so many that they sell out. I might need them again next year.