Instant Heirloom: Jewelweeds

Today's post is mostly going to be eye candy for you since I am in need of a bit of visual inspiration (movers are coming today so my apartment is boxes, boxes, everywhere!). I have loved Jewelweeds for some time now, both for the rustic elegance of the products and also that everything is very sustainable. Here’s a bit about the creator, Julia White:

Julia spent most of her childhood either outdoors or making things, often at the same time. Jewelweeds is the inevitable product of this. All Jewelweeds items strive to combine aesthetics and sustainability, something that she believes has a natural synergy. She is committed to using the most environmentally friendly materials and is constantly looking for ways for Jewelweeds to be greener.”

I am totally head over heels for her baby quilts.

I am amazed at how restrained her work is, yet how it manages to convey such a sense of warmth and calmness.

Makes me think about trying applique sometime in the near future.

Oh and how lovely are the lines of quilting on this one!?! Definitely proves that less can be more.


So so pretty. Thank you Julia for creating such soulful work and for providing such a needed break of serenity!

Big (corn-fed) Employment/Moving News!

I've been keeping a secret for a few weeks that I'm finally ready to share with you.

I am moving to Des Moines, Iowa!

To assume my new position as the Deputy Editor of ReadyMade magazine! (Check out this blog post to see who's who at the mag and get a tour of the facilities!)

For those of you who, like me who has only ever lived in coastal states (and have a little difficulty with Midwestern geography) this is a helpful reminder of exactly where Iowa is located.

And this is the very fancy state capital building that's up on a hill on the East side of the downtown area of the city. It is very helpful for me to know that it's East as I have a very hard time orienting myself when I am there (I am rather directionally challenged in general, so this is more a comment on myself than on the location of the state.)
I realize that you might have a few questions, so I've done a little FAQ section for us all.

Why is ReadyMade published in Des Moines?
Good question. It is there because that's where the company that publishes it is located. (Meredith is also the company behind Better Homes and Gardens and More, among many other terrific magazines.)

Are you really okay with leaving NYC?
I am and have actually been looking for a way to live a less city-centric lifestyle and continue working in magazines (which is a challenge, to be sure). That said, I know it will be hard to be so far from my friends and family so I'm already planning trips home. PLUS, I am moving into a two bedroom duplex, so people can actually come stay with me!

Will you be keeping your blog?
Yes, yes, and YES. I will be continuing along my merry way with Things We Make and working with my new coworkers to figure out what my role will be on the magazine's website.

What are you most going to miss about New York?
Well, first, I'm planning to visit a lot (have I mentioned that already? Sorry, just want to make sure we're on the same page!), but here's what I will miss, in no particular order:
The ornate wood fireplace in my apartment.
Long walks in Central Park in the early morning.
The fact that I live down the street from "Obama Fried Chicken".
The Greek salad and burger at Kefi, the pizza at Otto, the sesame spinach at Haru, the spiked pink lemonade at Ditch Plains and cinnamon raisin bagels from Murray's.
Eating that first meal at a sidewalk table in spring.
My friends.
My family being a train ride away.
My family being able to come for the day (and help me with miscellaneous tasks, including all things electrical).

What are you NOT going to miss?
Hearing my downstairs neighbor's television.
The subway in the summer.
The subway when conductors decide to skip stops because they are "running late".
The subway during rush hour.
The subway when my ipod battery dies.

What are you looking forward to about moving to Des Moines?
Well, for starters I am moving into a duplex with a washer and dryer (that work without quarters!) a full size stove and refrigerator! What else could a girl want?! Actually, I am also really looking forward to meeting new people, starting my new job, going to the weekly farmers market, and trying some of the corn I have heard so much about. Not to mention the state fair, the minor league baseball games, spending lots of time on my new deck and attempting to grow some veggies. Yay!!!

So movers are coming tomorrow (yes, I am tripping over myself in my boxed up apartment at this very moment!), I will be a bit of a nomad for a few days and then Virginia and I are embarking on what we've deemed our "ReadyMade Road Trip" to my new digs. Stay tuned for more info and let me know if you have any other questions!

P.S If you are a Midwestern or know any nice ones you'd like to introduce me to, I am taking all friend referrals since I currently know about 3 people there!

Inspired Image: Jena of Modish

Hello, my name is Jena Coray.

You can find me at Modish, Modish BIZtips and my personal blog, & stuff.

This image comes from Moxiee's flickr stream.

It inspires me because it's brilliant and pink with flowers at every corner of the viewpoint.

I particularly love the shift in color between brown and pink, seeing the fresh blooms pop up right over the dying ones & the bright light right at the center of the frame.

It makes me feel like I live in the prettiest city in the world as it was taken here in Portand, OR.

The 3 words it conjures up are spring, light, bursting.


I think that Jena's choice is perfect to help us all break through the rainy days that have been plaguing so many of us! If you haven't checked out Jena's blogs yet, please head over there to see what she's up to. I personally think that the blog header on Modish is one of the prettiest I have ever seen (and is making me consider reworking my own!) and I really enjoy seeing the products and people that she features. And, her biz tips site is just chock full of helpful advice for how to turn your creative hobby into a business.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend ahead. My parents are coming to visit on Sunday and I'm very happy to be able to spend Mother's Day with my mom. We have dinner plans for Kefi, one of my very favorite restaurants in the city, and I hope she enjoys it as much as I do.

A Note

Without getting into specifics, I just want to remind all of us creative people that in a world where we're all finding inspiration in one another, it's incredibly important that we stay respectful. Which means that I really hope that we can all respect each other in terms of originality of our work and give proper credit to others when we are modeling our work on theirs.
That is all :)

Q&A: Susan Najarian

Susan Najarian is a very talented painter who captures color and texture in a style that is entirely her own. Since I'm not familiar with the process of painting that she does, I thought it'd be best if she and I did a Q&A. This way we get to see some of her lovely work and hear more from her about her process (and her inspiration!). Scroll down to read the interview and see some of my favorite picks from her etsy shop.

Where do you live?
I live on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Bainbridge is an island in the Puget Sound, just a short, 35-minute ferry ride from Seattle.

You do something called encaustic painting. What does that mean?
Encaustic is from the ancient Greek word that means to heat. The medium consists of beeswax melted with a small amount of resin to impart hardness. This mixture becomes paint when pigment is added to the molten wax. I use the hot wax like paint and I fuse layers of wax to a stable surface using a blow torch or heat gun.

How did you learn the process?
I read a fantastic book called The Art of Encaustic Painting by Joanne Mattera. This book is a great way to learn all about encaustic painting. I then painted and painted with encaustic. (I melted a lot of beeswax at that time.)


Did you have any teachers who became mentors along the way?
I took a weekend workshop, a few years ago, in Seattle from fellow artist Larry Calkins . He is a fantastic artist as well as a fun and supportive teacher.

Why do you enjoy the medium?
I love the process of encaustics. There is a lot of preparation, which I see as part of the fun. I like all the setup that is needed before you even begin to paint. Also, living here in the gray, damp, Pacific Northwest I like the warm, sweet smelling, medium, (as beeswax warms, there is a sweet smell of honey). Most of all, I like the finished look. Every completed piece has a sensual, tactile quality that invites the viewer to caress the paintings.


Do you have a design in mind before you start painting, or do you let it come to you as you go?
Because working with encaustics requires a definite process, I do have a specific direction as I begin. The medium, however, offers significant room for creativity and much of my work does evolve as I paint.

Where do you find your inspiration?
All of life and nature seems to find its way into my work. Many times I will see something and days later the scene or feeling shows up in a painting. Right now I am inspired by cheerful colors, birds and nature.


Is this your full time work?
I have two full- time jobs right now. Watching my Art grow along with my three, school-aged children keeps me moving fast!

What's the best part of your day?
The early morning! I love the freshness of a new day. It’s like having a new canvas and lots of creative ideas. And…I love that first cup of coffee.


What do you like to do when you're not painting?
I love spending time with my family. Right now it is Spring and that means baseball and softball – I enjoy watching my kids play and grow. Sometimes we are lucky and actually get to sit in the SUN while we watch their games.

Fruit and Custard Pie

When I posted about making pasta a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I learned to do so at cooking school in Tuscany last summer. Well I was going through some old pictures last night and came across the ones of all of the food we made during the course at Organic Tuscany. I have very fond memories of this custard pie, particularly the flavor of the vanilla bean in the crust. Oh, to be sitting outside in the warm sun eating a slice of pie and drinking an espresso!

Organic Tuscany Fruit and Custard Pie
Serves 8-12

Ingredients for the Rich Shortcrust
250 g (1/2 lb) flour
120 g (4 oz) butter, at room temperature
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 untreated lemon
100 g sugar

Directions for the Rich Shortcrust
1 Line an ovenproof tart dish with baking paper.
2 Make a mound of flour on a wooden work surface.
3 In a well in the centre, distribute the sugar, whole eggs and yolks Grate the lemon zest on top.
4 Add the butter and work the ingredients together with your hands, very gently, preferably with cold hands (run them
under the cold tap when you begin and halfway through the process).
5 When the pastry is homogenous, smooth and completely free of lumps, wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate it for at least
30 minutes (overnight is best, 2 hours is good).
6 Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F.
7 When the pastry has rested in the refrigerator, roll out to the size of the tart dish, cover with more baking paper and
weigh down with dry beans, rice, or another, smaller, baking dish. This will prevent the pastry rising.
8 Bake at 160°C/320°F for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
9 Remove the beans etc and baking paper and allow to cool.

Ingredients for the Custard
125 g (4 oz) sugar
500 ml (1 pint) milk
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
1 fresh vanilla pod
250 ml (1/2 pint) whipping cream
Fruit to cover (that will not go black)
e.g. strawberries, kiwi, figs, raspberries etc.

Directions for the Custard
1 Split open the vanilla pod and place in a saucepan with the milk. Bring to the boil.
2 In a large bowl, vigorously beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the result is light in colour and frothy.
3 Add the flour and beat well.
4 Add the milk (remove the vanilla pod) gradually, beating constantly with a whisk.
5 Slowly bring back to the boil. The custard should be quite thick but will thicken even more once it cools. Allow to cool.

To Assemble
Fold whipped cream into the cooled custard. Fill the base with this and decorate with fruit.
This pie is best enjoyed at room temperature soon after it has been made, i.e. not refrigerated.

And the King Arthur Giveaway Winner is...

{Clark & Chelsie} who said "My favorite weekend food ritual is making my grandmother's pancakes and eating them on the porch with homemade buttermilk syrup. Yummy!"

Chelsie, your blog is so sweet and if you can email me your mailing info, I'll get this prize sent out to you asap. Thanks to everyone who entered!