craft: birds

I saw these birds on etsy awhile ago and they gave me inspiration for a stained glass wall sculpture. Just wanted to share.

cool etsy shop

I found this etsy shop, TUSH TUSH, the other day on etsy.

These tiny portraits are just too beautiful.  There's something about pictures in miniature that make them more magical and special.  It makes me want to whip out some of my old canvas and paint and try my own hand at images of my family/friends...

Here are some of the paintings I loved the most.

They sell for about $20 each, not too bad for handmade, one-of-a-kind works!

soft moss

I saw these cute little moss jars on etsy and it made me remember the small moss garden that we have back in the States that spends most of its time outside, but comes in every year for Easter decorations.

When I come back I think I am going to try this out, it seems like an easy way to get greenery into a small space, and moss doesn't require too much hard work.

A patch of moss in the Lake District

christmas cookies

I know it's not Christmas. We still have 5 months. But don't think I'm crazy yet.  I have a reason for bringing up Christmas in August.

Every Christmas we have a family cookie tradition, where we make the same recipes every year, or at least a rotation of recipes that appear every few years or so.  Some regulars are pecan butter balls, cranberry pistachio freezer cookies, fried Swedish cookies, chocolate chip, and many more.

One of my favourites are Spritz Cookies, but one problem is that you really need the proper cookie 'gun' to make them.

So to make a long story shorter, I saw this while browsing on etsy, and for $5.75 I had to get it to add to my kitchen collection.





Recipe for Spritz Cookies:
3/4 cup butter (or shortening) 1/2 tsp. orange extract
1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. grated orange rind
1 egg yolk 2 to 2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg yolk, then beat in extract and grated rind. Sift salt into flour and add. Put through Cookie Maker onto cookie sheet or pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Eat.

strange coincidences

I got this necklace in the mail on the way to Manchester.

Looking at the postcode I realized it came from Manchester.

When we got to Manchester and told this to SJ's Mum we realized the necklace had come from a house about 2 blocks from her house.

Roundabout journeys.

(It's quite cute)

Necklace: Paraphernalia, Etsy