a few shots from kurtwood farms, while waiting for a scrumptious homestead meal that was fed to a table full of booksellers. more shots from the meal to come tomorrow.
in the meantime, i can't stop thinking about this paris map bag.

one hot night

pratt fine arts center hosted an open house called 'one hot night' and we went to see metal working, glass blowing, bronze casting and more. jon might take a blacksmith class from them.

did you catch this story about indie bookstores on npr today? it's important.
i'm really excited about pomegranate bistro's new cookbook, fried chicken and champagne. it is beautiful. (oh! and also only available through independent businesses. if you are out of state, you can order directly through the company).

apple season

apple season is winding down and this year all i was able to do was buy a bag full of apples at the market each saturday and eat them whole for afternoon snacks or cut up after dinner. no apple pie, no cobbler, crisp or cake. there's nothing wrong with an apple, straight-up: juicy, crunchy and sweet. but there is also something special about sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on them and putting them in the oven. can someone share with me their apple adventures so i can live/bake vicariously through you?

**
right now i can't stop exploring yak films. dance groups from across the world film videos of their dance in different spaces and upload it to yak. it's sick in the best sense of the word. i love turf feinz and the girls in ghetto blaster.

also, i came across this cool stop motion wedding. i'd like to get into stop motion one day.


this weekend i used stephanie's recipe for sweet potato biscuits, but i used leftover butternut squash in place of the potatoes. the color of these guys make me so happy.

this weekend i've been doing a lot of catch-up reading on books i wanted to finish over the summer. i read through the art of the story, edited by david halpern, which features some of today's greatest writers from all over the world. reading through that anthology helped me get a taste for some people's work i haven't had a chance to read (margaret atwood, raymond carver, t.c. boyle, lydia davis) and it also pointed me to work by some of my favorites that i'd never seen before (edwidge danticat, patrick chamoiseau, colum mccann).

i finished the last in the hunger games series. have you followed some of the craze over it? yeah, it's pretty addicting and the perfect example of book candy.

now i'm onto a short story collection by aleksandar hemon. his earlier novel lazarus project hit me so hard and i have a feeling the stories in love and obstacles will do the same. (bonus, lazarus project has amazing photographs by velibor bozovic scattered through it).

anyway, books are on the mind. i'm eager to meet more inspiring authors this fall and hopefully share with you some things i've gleaned.

a walk

i love hanging out with fellow film nerds! one very hot day, molly and i met for drinks and a photo walk. we talked books and restaurants and cameras and we snuck into a beautiful church. she thought the building in that last photo reminded her of london.

oddfellows

some shots from a few different trips to oddfellows cafe. i like their farmhouse/americana design and sort of wish my house looked more like that. we are back from a long weekend of camping and beautiful sights. it may be awhile before i get my film back, but i'm hoping for great things on those rolls. washington state is so beautiful.

tonight i'm hosting an event with new york times writer, paul greenberg. his new book, four fish, is about sustainability in fishing practices and traces the path of common fish we eat. here's a review. i usually eat more fish during the summer, so i am especially interested in hearing how i can make smart choices when buying fish.

have a good day!

summer table settings

i am looking forward to going into work today because i have a new project starting up and it involves an interview with this funny food writer and his wife, an all-star school librarian. sitting down with a recorder and interviewing someone is a first for me, so i am a bit excited, anxious, and nervous. i have a little relief because my new project includes an interview buddy, also by the name of anna. we're going to have a blast! and i'll let you know when we feature the interview.

speaking of feature, i was invited by sheri to participate in the stir's summer inspiration series, all about table settings. i had a lot of fun putting my setting together and i've really enjoyed reading about all the other table settings featured this july. go take a look, it is a great collection! (and thank you sheri)

we've got canning in the works this weekend. hope it's a good one for you.

oaxacan

 

one sunny day i accompanied my roommate to a oaxacan festival called guelagetza, that is celebrated yearly. i loved the beautiful colored flags against the bright sun and it was a lot of fun watching people dance and play music, eating mole, and meeting new people.

a few things i'm enjoying lately:

summer in seattle through allison's lens

sauteed snap peas with the prfect mix of salt, butter and garlic

saveur magazine, especially their market issue

this photo. (i might have to play with patching two photos together)

pin it forward

hello! today i am participating in pin it forward, a fun mashup up put on by sfgirlbybay and pinterest. i've had fun playing around with pinterest, but i haven't gathered nearly the amount of images that i had hoped. i'll consider this 'home tour' just the beginning.

and so, a bit of what home means to me...

cozy bed sheets and comforters, simple and classy kitchen towels, a full and organized pantry with whole foods, shelves and shelves of books, the dining room table as a centerpiece for the home, chalkboards...these are all small pieces of what makes home home. go to my pin it forward page on pinterest to see more images and the beginning stages of my pin boards.
if you are interested in pinterest, i have a few invites to pass on. let me know and i will send you one. i've enjoyed using it as a visual bookmarking tool.

for more pin it forward, check out global atelier tomorrow to see what home means to her.
image credits: 1. fog linen 2. emmersonmade's home via design*sponge 2. blissinateacup
**
i'll be back soon with regular posts.

june 8

i'm back from minneapolis and not quite ready with pictures or words. why not reminisce on lilacs instead?
**
also, i just caught sight of these helvetica cookie cutters via sacred lotus. aren't they classy? and the card society is celebrating 4 years with 15% off. i look forward to my package every month.
**
i hope to catch you up with my trip soon. in the meantime, check out the cute picture julia snapped.