cherry tomato

plush you

Plush You! opens tomorrow evening from 5-9 pm. For those of you in Seattle, be sure to swing by and support your favorite plush artist and pick up your copy of the Plush You book. I went by the store today and saw the book for the first time, and it looks great. It's so fun to see everyone's work together in one place. Many thanks to Kristen for making it all happen.

I participated in the show last year but not this year. Ironically, I feel even more excited about the show this year and have no doubt it will be amazing. I'll be sure to take some pictures to share with those of you who can't make it.

the harvest

Our blackberry bushes are now producing a bounty of juicy berries. I picked these on Friday evening, a day before things got crazy. I spent both Saturday and Sunday nights in the emergency room suffering a mystery affliction that hit me on Saturday. I seem to be on the mend now, but it's difficult to tell. I expect it won't be a very productive week for me, so you won't be hearing much from me at least for another week.

As for the berries, they're in the freezer awaiting their mates. Once I get a large enough number of them, I'm going to make some blackberry and apple preserves from this book. I love making preserves, and this book is filled with recipes for pickles, mustards, jams, compotes, cheese and more. Stunning photos compliment the recipes, and every time I look through it, I feel an overwhelming urge to make every single thing in there. We keep eating the berries as we collect them though, so it may be a few weeks before I will have enough for the preserves.

lazy days of summer

Things are feeling pretty hectic around here, and I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever slow down. My life has been disheveled for so long, that it actually feels odd to have the time to do normal things. Eric and I had the most wonderful weekend of just staying home and being sickeningly domestic. We sat out in the yard in our lawn chairs and watched the sun go down until we finally surrendered to the bites of the mosquitoes. We made pesto, mowed the lawn, picked some of our ripened blackberries, barbecued fresh wild salmon, hung clothes on the line to dry and sat on a blanket in the yard.  It was like we tried to cram every summer cliché into a single weekend, and well, I think we succeeded. I’m so glad we did too because it has been dreary and grey here the past couple of days.

Last Thursday during my weekly trek to Kinokuniya, I found what I believe it is a new Lotta Jansdotter book, Lotta Jansdotter Handmade Project (it's much less expensive at Kinokuniya). It’s published in Japanese with easy to follow directions. Finding the book was an unexpected delight. It's just the sort of treasure I hope to find every time I go there. It is filled with some great little projects and ideas including instructions for printing your own designs onto fabric. Her patterns are simple and beautiful, and the book is filled with images from her home. I’ve looked through it many times now, but I still haven’t been able to commit to a project. Instead I’ve opted to work on a design of my own.

I’ve had so many ideas caught up in the design phase. So much so that I’m starting to feel out of sorts about not being productive. I worked on my studio on Sunday and got it in a condition where I can at least accomplish some work in there even if it’s not quite where I want it to be. I’ve begun work on a new stuffed, and I’m already feeling more calm. If all goes well, I should have it finished by the end of the week and promise to share it with you (if it turns out okay).

I'll leave you with a cute photo of Vedo. I was trying to snap a picture of this plate I bought last week, and Vedo had to make sure there wasn't any food on it for him. So typical...

perks of the jobby job

Of all the events that have transpired over the past few months, the most exciting has to be my new job. I have worked in law firms ever since I graduated from college, with the exception of the time I spent in law school. The truth is, I've been burned out on my career for about five years now. When I first realized I was burned out, I decided to go to law school. Wrong move. If you're burned out on a career, getting deeper into that career is probably not the solution.

I have been putting a lot of thought into the things I enjoy doing, the things I just do anyway, the effortless activities that make me tick. So when I came across the description for my current position, I knew it was perfect. By some miracle, I actually landed the job, and I'm now working at an Internet startup here in Seattle. It's wonderfully different than working at a lawfirm. It's a perfect combination of intellectual challenge and creativity and the office is bursting at the seams with enthusiasm and innovation. It's an exciting place to be and an exciting time to be there.

One of the many benefits of this job is the location. It's just blocks away from the Japanese bookstore, Kinokuniya. I go there at least once a week, and never leave without a little something. This week, I came across a little postcard book filled with illustrations by Japanese artist, Cozy Tomato. I was not familiar with his work, but I was instantly smitten. I did a Google search and found out Cozy Tomato is actually Koji Tomoto, an illustrator for children's books and advertising.

I just have to share a few of my favorite illustrations from the book:

There are more! Check them out here.

i've had better days

Today was really frustrating. I awoke to a stabbing pain behind my right shoulder blade. I'm not sure if it's because of some weird way I was sleeping or if it's related to stress. I have been under a bit of stress lately. i just got a job working in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Seattle, but before I can start, they have to conduct a comprehensive background check on me. I had a meeting with them yesterday wherein I had to be fingerprinted (in triplicate, of course). It was a strange experience to say the least. The whole process is a bit unnerving because, well, despite the fact that I have a public blog, I'm actually a pretty private person, and having my future employer investigating my entire life is freaking me out a little.

On Sunday I went to my friend's baby shower, then to the Urban Craft Uprising here in Seattle.  I was amazed and thrilled to see a huge crowd there. I had to go around the gallery a couple of times in order to see each vendor. I was happy to see a couple of the Portland Supercrafty girls there. Here is a picture of my purchases:

The book is full of some great craft ideas from very simple to a little more complex. I particularly like the chapter on reusing and recycling products to create new crafts. The donut pincushion is from Portland's Sew Dorky. It was just too cute to pass up. It is interesting going to craft shows like this, because as a crafter, you often see things you know you can make on your own. However, I really like the idea of supporting other crafters, even if I see something I know I can make. While I was at the gallery I found myself wondering if the majority of people there were crafters, or if they were people who appreciate independent artists and want to support them, but don't have the inclination to do any crafting themselves. Regardless, I was happy to see so many people there.

My first pillows and aprons are going to be for sale at a new boutique that's opening in Queen Anne this Saturday. I'm really anxious to see if anyone will be interested in purchasing my goods.

I hope my back will be better tomorrow so I can actually be productive. I have so much I need to get accomplished. A friend of mine is having a Holiday Shopping Spree at her house on December 4th, so I have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks to prepare.