Dear Sapling Letterpress...

...thanks for making me laugh tonight.  

I just discovered Sapling Press, a one woman run letterpress and print shop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  I'm currently loving her Dear Blank cards.  Working with Jared and Hans of dearblankpleaseblank, Lisa Krowinski is in the process of recreating their site in stationary form.

The following are on my wish list.  I really think they'd be perfect framed and hung on my wall.  Smiles and laughs guaranteed.

Chickpea and Roasted Garlic Soup

I really wish mother nature would make up her mind already.  Monday, we were graced with a gorgeous spring day in the mid-seventies, the following day- winds, rain and chill-you-to-the-bone temperatures swept through the city. Yesterday, the temperatures reached the mild mid-50's or so. Honestly, it's enough to drive one absolutely mad, especially when all they want to do is pack up the bulky sweaters and the down parka and break out all the spring frocks.  And then we have dinner.

It wasn't quite salad and outdoor grilling weather, yet it didn't quite call for a warm, comforting stew either.  Allow me to introduce you to Chickpea and Roasted Garlic Soup- a light, pureed broth of chickpeas, earthy roasted garlic and a splash of bright lemon to remind you that spring weather really is on the horizon.

Freshwater Pearl and Turquoise Necklace and Earrings

I've been wanting to share this creation with you for quite sometime now but I had to wait until the recipient received it, as it was a birthday gift and I didn't want to ruin the surprise.  Dan's mom commissioned this necklace and earring set as a gift for her daughter-in-law's 40th birthday.  As she described her desired palette to me, it became evident that the colors of the sea were her true inspiration. 

The result is a set that I am very, very happy with.  It's quite different than anything I've done before, especially because it incorporates so many pearls.  I am not one to wear pearls but I think this necklace has changed my mind.  I hope to make more, in different color schemes and media- perhaps incorporating brass, gold vermeil, or wood. 

 

This multi-strand necklace features a mélange of colorful pearls and semi-precious stones echoing the warmth of the sea. Freshwater pearls, Amazonite, Rutilated Quartz, and Turqouise are suspended from a pair of silver cones handmade by the Karen Hill Tribe of northern Thailand.

     

Sublime Stitching's Meaty Treats Patterns, and a Rather Epic Apron for Dad

My dad recently celebrated a birthday, way back in January.  I had the wonderful idea to make him an apron, since he's always cooking for someone- whether in the kitchen for family, on the grill, or for his fellow Masons and all the other organizations he's involved with.  The apron that I had in mind would feature steaks.  I searched and searched for the right fabric but nothing really caught my eye.  I wanted it to be quirky and fun, maybe a little retro.  Finally, with nearly one week to go and no steak pattern fabric in sight I realized it was time to seek out other options.  Enter the amazing Sublime Stitching patterns of Jenny Hart.  

Though familiar with Jenny Hart and her embroidery company, I had never used one of her patterns, nor had I done any major embroidery since I was in the 5th or 6th grade when I embroidered a colorful daisy flower on the back pocket of my most favorite jeans.  A quick Google search directed me to the company and her then newly released Meaty Treats pattern.  I hit the jack pot.  With designs for sausage links, and steaks, and hams, and hamburgers, and chicken wings I was equipped to make the most epic food-themed apron for my dad, ever.  I would not stop with a single steak.  Oh no, I had to add as many items on the apron as I could- complete with a sausage link pennant-like banner across the top from which various meat items would hang and a Sunday ham dinner flanked by two partially eaten chicken wings across the front pocket.

Mental health day

After a long weekend that culminated with me accidentally plunging my iPhone into a cup of chocolate milk, I've decided to take a mental health day to save my sanity from "a case of the Mondays".  I plan on relaxing on the couch with coffee under a fluffy down blanket, walking Heidi around the neighborhood, and maybe making myself a pretty pair of earrings, just for the heck of it.

But for now, I'll share a collection of feathered ones that have me thinking spring.

Meyer Lemon, Asiago and Roasted Tomato Pasta Salad

With the mild, spring like temperatures the east coast has been having as of late, Dan and I found ourselves itching for warm nights and barbecues.  To settle our pangs for the Spring we decided to make a cold pasta salad earlier this week, paired with simple teriyaki chicken, grilled on Dan's beloved vintage Webber. (yes. Vintage.  c. 1986.  That boy is a sucker for a good grill.)

I have a feeling that this simple pasta salad is going to become a spring and summer barbecue staple in our little household.  I think any sort of vegetable and pasta would work rather well, especially grilled asparagus and roasted red peppers.  The key to it, and that which you must not skimp out on, is the quickly roasted tomatoes and the tangy Meyer lemon dressing.  The slow roasted tomatoes do add a little bit more prep time than one would hope for, but if you do them in advance- say, the night or morning before- you are smooth sailing my friends.  I decided to roast them that evening so I opted for a shortcut by slicing them into half inch slices, drizzling them with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.  Under a 400 degree oven, they should be roasted enough for your needs, in about 10 minutes.  Because I was prepping all the other ingredients, I kept them in for at least a half an hour and they were tasty as can be.

Labradorite and Gold Vermeil Necklace

Hello readers.  I haven't had a chance to work on new work for my etsy shop (hopefully to open in the near future *fingers crossed*) but I have been busy with a few custom orders which I am very fortunate for. 

This necklace was commissioned for my boyfriend's sister for her birthday.  I'm not sure why, but when I thought of what I wanted to do her for her, I could not get Labradorite out of my head.