The New + Improved Design Crush.

A new site design and a move to WordPress. What else would a girl like me do over the summer?

After wanting a redesign for the past few years and getting nowhere with it myself (Why didn’t anyone tell me how hard it is to design for yourself?!) I decided to turn it over to some willing and able hands. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some ultra-talented locals – Cooper Multimedia on the site, along with And Kathleen on the new logo – to make it all come together over the past few months. They’ve helped make this transition incredibly exciting and painless. It probably doesn’t hurt that they’re my actual friends! There will also be a few new features being added over the next few weeks.

I’m sure there will be a bug or two to get worked out, but I hope you’ll take a look around. The Categories and Archives bars are collapsible, there’s search capability to make it easier to find that specific something, and all of my favorite blogs are listed under on the Links page. There’s even a little bit about me and some information on becoming a sponsor.

Cheers,
Kelly

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Happy Weekend.

+ If you’re so inclined, you can check out some of my favorites over on Simple Lovely. Thanks for having me, Joslyn!

+ Sometimes we need to stop. Take a minute. And be grateful in the midst of everything. This might help.

+ I’m dying to fill in this blank pop-up book with all sorts of crazy doodles!

+ Wondering if I could pull off a beehive hairdo.

+ Kate Miss is teaching a jewelry class!

+ Love the idea of a guest book poster.

+ Very cool bookplates to mark your literary territory.

+ Test your color IQ! I scored a 9.


Happy Weekend!

Stop by the site Monday for a big surprise that’s been in the works for a few months!

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The Jam.

While I was growing up my grandmother made jam nearly every fall. Jars and jars would be given away and the leftovers relegated to the pantry in the basement for later use. Before this summer I’d never really had the desire to make any, but the thought of summer ending makes me want to save some of that leftover fruit. In my hunt for the perfect recipe, I came across a few that were surprising. Recipes using fruits I never would have thought possible to turn into jams and jellies. Have you ever made your own jam or jelly? What kind?










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Antique Silver Shakers.


I’d love to buy these Antique Silver Shakers from Pottery Barn and fashion a story about how I really bought them at a flea market somewhere off the beaten path. How they were at the very bottom of this old trunk and the seller didn’t even know they existed, so I got them for a steal. And some time later I found out they’d belonged to someone wonderful like Audrey Hepburn or the Queen of England. Something like that. Yeah. {via Brooklyn Limestone}

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Kitchen Help.

They say that cooking is an art, while baking is a science. I tend to lean towards the baking side of the spectrum, so being precise is big deal in my kitchen. Measurements, specific temperatures, baking soda versus baking powder. I love all of it. I’m a precise kind of girl by nature, really. Here are a few kitchen guides that have caught my eye lately.

Apron Guides. An entire apron full of useful information designed by John Caswell. Numeric conversions, cooking times for vegetables, roasting times for birds, freezing instructions, defrosting times, a cooking glossary and more right at your fingertips. And oriented so that you can pick up the hem in a pinch.

Cheat Sheet Placemat. A great way to teach kids to help out at the table. Or, if you’re like me, to teach yourself. Cotton and machine-washable for use time and time again. {via bltd}

Pastry Board. I’m currently trying to master the perfect pie crust, so the diameter measurements would greatly help me out and save lots of time. You can use the reverse side for chopping. It’s made from sustainable North American Birch, which makes you feel like you’re doing some good while getting a great product. {via design is mine}

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Digna Kosse.




This ceramic project by Digna Kosse is completely brilliant. She describes it best…

People are consuming more and more. All materials and resources we are using, are not in proportion to our own bodies, and our size in relation to the planet we are living on. For a long time, the human body has been the measure for many things, f.i. distances and weights. In this project, my body becomes a measure for consumption. I measured all parts of my body in volumes (litres)and these volumes I have captured in a series of tableware. on every bowl, cup and dish an engravement is placed, that says which part of the body and which volume fit into it.

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