Christmas Eve 2015...

padding around the house before the sun is up...

Fancy a Biscuit?

I cannot say enough good things about this series...

find it on your local PBS and see for yourself...

thank (or curse) me later...

The Wonders of the Universe...

or... in this case... the world wide web. The Internet works in mysterious ways... What started as a basic search for "prim sayings" for my latest art project somehow yielded this scrumptious plate of amazing goodness... I have not hidden my love of all things breakfast... diner... trucker... savory... sweet... but seafood and breakfast?? Come to Mama!!  

                      PHOTO SOURCE: californiathroughmylens.com
At Mama's no less!!  Meant to be...

forget primitive art projects... can I hitch a ride to California... anyone??

Stop Laughing...

A little vintage... a little snark...
what's not to love?

so many cards... 

so little space...

Hmmm... Did You Say Something?

Ever since I plugged myself into this amazing CD, I only come up for air occasionally...

it's intoxicating...

Got Milk??

Latest project for the shop... tarted up vintage milk bottles...

got the bottles...

just need to find the perfect sweet little vintage image.  

Shop Girl Sunday...

I finally restocked my poor neglected little shop space this weekend with an eye toward layering in Holiday vintage and crafts… it was starting to look like two bickering sisters with polar opposite tastes and hoarding tendencies were in charge of the inventory… NOT a good look.  Here are some after shots... I spared your retinas the befores...

I always forget how tiring, time consuming and tedious a process this is… 

but so worth it… 

Swan Lake... By Mail...

As much as I love shopping... and clothes... I must admit, I have never been too enamored of warm weather fashion...  With that said, it's obviously been a rather lackluster past few months...

Anthropologie to the rescue... this morning they delivered an enticing email highlighting their Fall fashions and this suede bomber jacket... and it's bye bye beach wear.

Of course, I bypass the jacket completely... and instead fixate on the funky little tutu skirt they paired it with... I see it with a sweet little black sweater... black opaque tights... black classic patent pumps... and me!

Townies and Tourists...

/art/...the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination,  Redemption!!  I admit I may have been (muddled speak for "was") a day late and a dollar short when it came to advance notice of the Old West End Festival this year... but please note that I am a whole SIX days early on my reminder for the always amazing Ann Arbor Street Art Fair 2015 (thank you... thank you heavenly metal for my heads up email!)

It's everything you would expect from an art fair... and more...

it's an original, baby! A2 Art Fair 2015

Summertime and the Livin' Is Easy...

I meant to post about the festival earlier as a save the date... but, as oftentimes happens, life got in the way of my best intentions.  So, at this point, we're either way out on a commitment to your 2016 calendar... or just embarking on a good read... take it as you will... 

The Old West End Festival is an amazingly fabulous annual outdoor weekend party... typically held the first weekend in June it encompasses all that is wonderful... shopping... live music... art... food... mansion tours... parades... lemonade stands.  They have it all covered... and then some.  Think Mardi Gras - Midwest.  One year, I dragged home a chifferobe... the next year, just a bag of praline pecans. I came across an article that not only gives a nice festival overview, but includes a few other local gems as well... bonus!   detroitdvotion.com

The One(s) That Got Away...

My brother is flying in next weekend... Yay!  He rented a charter and he and my other brother are going out on the lake to fish… Yay!  The bait shop will clean and fillet their catch… Yay!  I will fry them up… Ya.. uh… hmmm…  Although I will admit to being a rather good cook… along with the ability to summon up some distant recollections of the kitchen at the cottage, the great aunts and some cast iron skillets filled with oil and perch… as well as extensive experience ordering seafood in restaurants… I don't mind admitting that I am (more than) a little nervous about this fish fry business. I've already made the mistake in preliminary sibling fish discussions of uttering the word tempura. My brother was quick to inform me that tempura is reserved for cod.  I started humming the theme song to Gilligan's Island.  In the end, I am hoping for this…

but with a tried and true back-up plan...

Excuse me now, while I go hit the (cook)books...

One Scoop or Two?

It's that perfect time of year to scoop up some fruit-filled goodness... that you can make yourself!  Although I share a lifelong passion with my Dad for butter pecan ice cream... this looks awfully tempting... and I would consider it a serving of fruit... because I have become very liberal in my food groups interpretation... and you can too.

get the surprisingly easy recipe here at the view from great island 

Chewy vs. Crunchy...

The art of the cookie... scientifically speaking...

the science behind the cookie

...in this instance, it really pays to do your homework.

Splendid Times at the Five and Dime...

Diners, soda shops and five and dimes...  Most were just a bit before my time... although I am fortunate to be ancient enough to have some firsthand experience with the nearly-extinct five and dime.  My Gram first introduced me to the wonders of a store that offered sewing notions alongside a freshly-grilled cheese sandwich and frosty malted milk.  Years later, when I began working downtown, it offered replacements for forgotten umbrellas and last minute birthday cards... and currently, just the memories... 

but oh... what memories.

PB2 and Jelly...

Mix with water and there you have it... peanut butter... well, health(ier) peanut butter... and although this is new to me, I know I am late to this discovery because there are already scads of pins on Pinterest incorporating this in cookie, cake, pie and pancakes recipes... (all healthy ones... no doubt) I've tried both... I like the peanut butter (it compares most closely in texture and flavor to that peanut butter filling sandwiched between those cheese-flavored crackers). 

Alas, chocolate lovers, I was not overly fond of the chocolate variety...
but that's me... try it for yourselves. 

You Don't Say...

Ordered a little dose of Claudia... smartest thing I did all week...

"Claudia loved grape vines at rest, and privately considered them wine skeletons."

have fallen in total love with adventures of claudia 

...I mean really... how could you not?

A Little Friday Fun...

Okay, I love this butter dish... I just do... no cut crystal... no pretense...
just how about some butter baby...

check out Fishs Eddy and find something that makes you smile...

Simply Divine...

I still haven't embraced the digital magazine concept... and I don't know that I ever will.  I like to drag my magazines around with me, especially this time of year...  a sunny spot in the yard... a beach tote... AND I like to tear out inspiration pages... try doing that with a digital edition. Unfortunately, over time, magazines, like most other consumer goods, have shrunk noticeably in size as well as (non-advertising) content. Most of my favorites are mere thin little shadows of their former selves...   

     

except this gem... it's substantial. Real Simple... it's everything a magazine should be. If I had to pare down to a single subscription, this would be the one.  Sorry, Martha.

Happy Easter...

to all my Peeps!

Wabbits...

A little glimpse of Easter...

 

Etsy style...

Good Things...

Some favorite finds from this past Winter...

these socks are perfect... warm... comfy... 

great with boots... and my most economical Free People trip ever...

there are no words... seriously... that good.

okay... arguably not the most exciting discovery... but...

got bricks?  want wreaths? get these brick clips

It's 3:00 Somewhere...

When the snack attack hits... that inevitable yet awkward lull between lunch has worn off and mustn't spoil my dinner...  that time each day when my co-workers (okay... and me) make the mass exodus to the bank of vending machines. If you're a chocoholic... which an amazingly large number of you seem to be... you're pretty much set... no slim pickings on that front... Hershey and automation have you covered. If you're me, desperately craving a tart lemon bar with a buttery shortbread crust... well then... you're going to have to pop a Skittle and pretend...

Madison Park Bakery... photo: Natasha Reed

my point being, that traditional snack vending machines have pretty much remained just that... rooted in tradition... for an awfully long time... and I'm totally blaming you chocolate addicts for this lack of technological advancement... yeah, I'm looking at you... and your half-eaten Snickers.

Out With The Old...

Google created a colorful doodle to celebrate the first day of Spring...

here's how we welcomed Spring on my porch this morning...

yes... that's snow.

Some Retail Therapy...

I saw this... I loved this... it was even on sale... 

try finding a perfectly proportioned scarf... with pockets no less... 

it was destined to be mine... 

it is also 80% acrylic and 20% wool...
I just couldn't get past that ick factor...

where's the justice? where's the cotton?
who creates something this fabulous using acrylic? 

...sigh.

Currently Reading...

a little of this...

a bit of that...

I find them both quite interesting... for totally different reasons.

Shop News...

the latest photo I have from my little shop around the corner... I've been bad... very bad... about taking updated photos... and yes, I have been there (many times) since Christmas...

Fast Forward...

The Holidays...  An unending source of material to post about.  And then... I began having uploading issues with Blogger.  Since I love the visual side of a story almost as much as the words running across the page... one without the other isn't really worth it.  At first, I was optimistic... and left several imageless posts suspended in draft purgatory... but after countless "supposed fix" failures, I just walked away in disgust... and enjoyed the hell out of my Holidays... the old-fashioned way... playing with my new toys, eating decadent food, hanging out with friends and family... all interspersed with some mighty fabulous shopping...  Now that I have images once more, let's do a quick wrap-up of the remnants of 2014 before jumping headfirst into 2015...


Thanksgiving at Brother's... dinner was droolworthy... an entire holiday dedicated to an abundance of food and marathon dining... what's not to love?

Christmas... my personal favorite... the smell of tangerines and pine boughs... warm cozy kitchens filled with baking and laughter... brand new twinkling lights right alongside generations-old ornaments... decorating this Season was a mix of Scandinavian Christmas and authentic 1930-40s vintage... and though it may sound like an odd combination, it actually was quite visually appealing (if I do say do myself) several guests said my home looked like a perfectly-displayed shop (which, if you're me, is the supreme compliment).  Alas, those photos remain on my iPhone and I'm not about to wrestle Blogger for them...

Then, there was the shopping... ah, bliss... I hit my old favorite haunts... the usual combination of Kate Spade, Free People and Anthropologie meets the fabulous Ann Arbor, et al., indies... as well as quite a few new places this last year...  

Suffice it to say, everything got tinseled, baked, wrapped and eaten... The End.