menu planning

 

tomorrow night i'm having friends over for cocktail hour in my backyard. i've had a lot of fun planning the menu this week, but menu planning is always something i meet with mixed excitement and terror. i'm the type of person to get so pumped about researching an idea, that i end up finding a million ideas shooting off from my original one and feeling overwhelmed by all the options. for example, i decided to have my cocktail hour be simple, fresh and inspired by summer's seasonal bounty. i have a lot of ricotta in my fridge, so i figured i would make crostini spread with fresh ricotta, deviled eggs, fresh vegetables and homemade ice cream for dessert. simple, right?

while looking for a solid deviled eggs recipe, i found 4 spreads that i could use with the crostini, all completely unrelated to ricotta. then i thought ooh! i'll make that leek tart i just learned how to make. and i'll make pasta salad! and i really should bake something with that ice cream, shouldn't i? and then i realized none of those go together, i didn't have any vegetables in my supposedly simple spread, and i was thinking way too big for my budget. i ended up deciding on a vegetable platter with this dip to go with the crostini and deviled eggs.  to relinquish some control and decision-making pressure, i snuck out of work on my lunch hour to the wallingford farmer's market and let whatever was fresh and good looking dive into my bag to be used on the veggie platter or to be stewed and spooned over ice cream. i ended up finding beautiful thumbelina carrots, a round orange carrots that i've never before seen. i also got fresh rainier cherries and bright yellow string beans. shopping at the market was a great way to clear my mind and really stick to my plan. after all that fuss, i know my cocktail hour will be bright and beautiful, and that's all that really matters.

housekeeping

hi! i've been a little silent this week. sorry about that. i will say, though, that my spring post was very refreshing. i love making wishes from time to time.

i have a lot of housekeeping notes that i want to catch up on. scissors fit well with housekeeping, right? either way i love this photo. i love these scissors that hang for sale in lucca great finds. i think i have to get myself a pair.

okay, here we go:

i added my cafe project as a tab in the sidebar, so they can all collect there together. also, i'd love it if you joined my cafe flickr group. there are some great images up already.
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i got a new lens! it's been really great to play with. it is a 28-80, so i have a nice comfortable range of wide and zoom. also, it has a macro setting which is fun to play with. photos from those experiments soon.
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i wanted to give a special mention to two links in my 'current inspiration' list. one is jen of sophik's post from jan 28th. go look at it, the images and the words all paired together--oh! i can't get enough of it. the other is read roll show, a new venture by the former marketing director of powell's books, dave weich. dave is a smart, creative guy with an amazing interview style. he interviewed over 200 authors at powell's and now he is melding his video inclinations with his interview skills in read roll show. this site is just starting up and i can't wait to see how it develops.
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also, about my current inspiration links: i am trying to change and rearrange these frequently. i felt like a huge long list of my friends and favorite bloggers was overwhelming, but i also don't want to put up a few links and never change them. so i hope to give special mention to things that touch me and continue to look for things that touch me. thanks for understanding that i can't keep every link on here.
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i am gathering my photos to hang at the fremont book co. for the month of april. woot! more on that, i hope...
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there are a few new prints in my shop. sorry for the lack of change recently. suggestions always welcome.

okay! housekeeping over. thanks for sitting through that.

krik? krak!

 

painting of la sirene (goddess of water) by Jacques Dorce, a haitian born artist

i studied franophone history and literature, with a focus on franco-african and caribbean poetry. i won't say that i know everything about haiti, but i will say that the history there, the energy the creativity, the survival of the people hold a special place in my heart. to start a story, the story-teller asks "krik?" as to get permission from the listeners. and the listeners respong "krak!" to say "we are here and we are listening!"

krik?

"you have to save every bit of flesh and give it a name and bury it near the roots of a tree so that the world won't fall apart around you."

"all anyone can hope for is just a tiny bit of love, manman says, like a drop in a cup if you can get it, or a waterfall, a flood, if you can get that too"

-edwidge danticat, krik? krak!

"on that deep and mighty night, all the slums of the lands of the centre and the south erupted into a volcanic laugh discharging vast flowers of debris, songs, moon fragments as if liberating for a new universe."

"the people who had lost their roots watched the ribbon of asphalt unrolling away beneath them, and those with memory dimly recalled a village in the fold of the hills, between the red blossoms of the flame of the forest and the majestic ancient cotton trees alive with singing birds. Thy remembered a cottage among the banana leaves, the brown of the earth and the river flowing over the black sand. "

-pierre clitandre, cathedral of the august heat

edwidge danticat is a prolific hatian-american author who just won the 2009 macarthur 'genius' award.
pierre clitandre, born in 1954, is a haitian novelist and painter.
both, like so many haitians, were driven to exile in new york in the 80s during the devalir regime.

and here, edwidge danticat recommends some hatian books and music.

***
from now until the end of the month, 25% of the sales in my shop will go to aid for haiti via mercy corps. to learn more about what mercycorps is doing in haiti, visit this site. i've added some new photos, and i still have a few note cards left.

papernstitch love

hello there!
as i mentioned last week, i am happy to be featured in the papernstitch exhibit this month. do you know about papernstitch? it is an online exhibit space for handmade artists, curated by portlander brittni wood, who also runs the papernstitch blog.

i thought i would do a little post on some of the shops whose company i share in this month's exhibit. 
a few of the many:

two awesome packaging companies are featured this month: nice package and olive manna. i got a fun little bundle from nice package for some of my holiday wrapping and i have loved every cute little thing in there. i'm excited to search through olive manna's wares and pick out some great packaging materials!

 i love this flying bird wall sticker, by blank cavas designs. i would love that on the wall of my bedroom to stare at and daydream.

embroidery is all around lately and there are some amazing embroidery prints from pink mist industry. i especially love the embroidered scissors.

jet set paper is super cool, selling trendy gocco stationary with a selection of airport codes or area codes. of course, i love the seattle set!

i am also in love with everything that wolfie and the sneak makes.
oh there are lots more great ones, i may have to do another post. for now, go check the papernstitch community out for yourself!

p.s. all the links i used in this post are to the shops' papernstitch showcases. from there, you can visit their actual stores.

p.p.s here's my papernstitch gallery!

working away

photos from my dad's house. (that old portrait in the top photo? that's my great-grandma anna who i am name after).

 

recently i have been working away at my own fun projects, and it feels great. for the past 6 weeks i was taking an  e-course for indie businesses by the lovely BAKERY ladies, jaime and erin. so much good info, it's exciting to digest it all.

i just got back some exciting new products for my shop. i can't wait to share them with you. newsletter subscribers will find out today...

starting yesterday, my shop is being showcased at papernstitch's monthly exhibition. there are some great artists whose company i share, go check 'em out and see what papernstitch is all about.

today i start working on the sales floor at the bookstore. i always help out during the holidays, as events are low and the number of people shopping is high (we hope--come on in and say hello!). i'm a little nervous to get back into the swing of tracking down books and ringing people up, but i can't wait to get out there and be helpful--i think i have some great book suggestions up my sleeve.

also, i'm more active over here. want to follow my tweets?

5th night of hanukkah. this whole city is out of candles, so i stalked up! i love to watch the candles burn low each night.

shop responsibly day

i hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving yesterday, or-if you aren't in america-a happy thursday. my family enjoyed each other's company and ate well. it was a very cozy evening.

i am checking in today to share a few thoughts about "black friday"--supposedly the craziest shopping day in the states. to counter the madness, some people call today "buy nothing day," which is a great way to discourage the mass consumerism that this day drums up. i've been thinking about it this year and it seems, especially in these times when we do want to support our economy, that today might best be called "shop responsibly day."  this year my holiday goals are to buy my gifts from only either handmade sources or local businesses.

some links to follow up on these thoughts:
vistoria's heartfelt anti-gift guide at sfgirlbybay.
poppytalk's 101 reasons to buy handmade.
powell's books tweet for today: "If you're brave enough to face the hordes today, don't forget to show indie businesses some love. They'll love you back."

and, finally, i am having a small sale in my shop for this weekend only. from now until monday evening, save 10% on your entire order and enjoy free shipping. just type in "SHOPRESPONSIBLE" in the discount code. and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, if you are interested :)

have a great weekend...

pentax week: day 3 (evenings)

 

the nights have been so long here, i look outside at 5pm and it is already dark. from inside, i love seeing the rain flicker below street lamps and the golden glow of building lights.

i've added my first winter print to the shop.  it comes in both 5x7 and 8x12 and to me it signifies all the beauty of winter: dark naked branches against a silver sky. if you are interested in the larger, 8x12 version, you can save 10% by entering WINTER. i'm going to put this next to all my holiday decorations.

thanks to all the new commenters and your pentax love. new cameras are so exciting.

polaroid week faves

1. voyage, 2. link, 3. sunbath, 4. What's Not To Like?

this week i've been a voyeur at 'roid week 2009, where hundreds of polaroid photographers upload their images to the 'roid week flickr set. i have a pretty polaroid camera--my first camera when i was about 6--sitting on top of my bookshelf waiting for film. but at the moment, there is no film to go into it and so my polaroid and i wait and peek in on all the lucky pola photographers who shared their stuff this week. above are some of my favorites. go check i out!

p.s. thanks for all your enthusiasm about my new shop! don't forget about the special sale that lasts until monday.

unveiling

 well, hello. i am excited to announce the unveiling of my new photo shop! i have decided to move my wares over to big cartel to have a bit more control in the design of the shop and a more personalized look. i hope you can stop by over at the sweet potato anna photo shop to say hello. it is so nice and cozy over there. for now i have new fall images and some classic, popular images both as fine art prints. i hope, as we near the holiday season, to add more items and maybe some diversity in format (think: notecards, postcards, etc.).

to celebrate my new space, and all my lovely blog readers you can enjoy 15% off orders from now until next monday, november 9th.just enter bakerdaughter as the discount code.

enjoy!

the lost summer roll

i found it! i developed a beautiful roll of summer flowers right before i left on my trip to montreal. when i came back, i was so excited about my montreal photos that these got lost somewhere in the shuffle. oh, how i've been longing to show you this one lingering holly hock, growing in an alleyway. i am so happy about finding that lost cd in a pile of negatives, that i have added this photo to my shop.

you can see the rest of my flower photos from that roll on flickr. but i love this one above the best. yay!

the end of the road

this bridge has a sign next to it that says "bridge dangerous: cross at your own risk."
today is labor day and it is raining. it's been raining all weekend and i finally have to face the fall and the dark. rain in seattle is so nostalgic. after a beautiful long summer, the crisp, wet fresh air reminds me of going back to school, of hot tea inside with sweatshirts on, of running from house to car, of puddles and soggy pant legs. i know there is beauty and comfort in the fall and i know that the rain is the only way to support the beautiful lush spring and summers. i just have to get prepared...

***
thank you all for the FABULOUS (!) comments on my last post. i'm so blown away by how much you loved those photos that every comment i got made me go back and look and love them more. i appreciate all the new people who have commented and all my stand-by friends who keep giving me great feedback and support. thank you all!

***
it is the last day of my labor day weekend sale and i have added one photo from the double exposed roll. i'll be adding more of that roll to the shop soon, but since that one is my personal favorite, i thought i'd give it a day on sale. go take a look at the boulder shot! it is 10% off and 15% off with the purchase of another item. but for you, if you enter weekend deals + the baker's daughter in the message to seller, you get 20% any item in my shop today (monday) only! let me know if you have questions.

*i am going to try to post less about my shop than i have this week and instead set up a e-newsletter for those interested, thanks for your patience.

i hope you enjoy

surprising beauty

i guess one thing that isn't always so glamorous about shooting with a 1970's camera is that it doesn't always do basic things. like advance fully. sometimes the whole roll from my yashica is on one frame, leaving the rest blank. and then i cry for a bit. and then i get over it and keep shooting. but this time the whole roll was like these pictures above. each frame overlapping the next. besides wishing so much i had just a simple shot of the beach, these photos have their own beauty, don't they? the third one is like a natural made diptych. and the first one is by far my favorite. how did it know to frame that boulder just so? and if you look very closely at it, there is a shadow of people on the right hand side. eerie.

well, anyway, not all the roll had the surprising beauty of these shots, but i'll go on. in the meantime i'm in the market for a new vintage camera.

*yes, these are my beach shots. there are a few more, still imperfect in a different way. taken on the olympic peninsula of washington state, my favorite place.

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sweet potato anna (my photo shop) is having a sale! from now (sept 3rd) to september 7th receive 10% off everything! and if you purchase two or more prints, receive 15% off. i'll try to stop advertising my shop soon, but i'm just so excited! i've got some new stamps and ribbons to package up each shipment just beautifully and i can't wait to grow a little more, because i have all these great ideas!

you know who else works with a vintage yashica and is celebrating the birth of her postcard shop with a giveaway? ida!

is it not friday yet?
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replies:
jane: yes, i just want to sit in that coffee shop all day and see how people react to my photos. is that weird? :)
tom (dad): yay! i can't wait to go back.
ida: i wish you could drop by, too. and once again congrats on your shop!
montagugue: thank you!

and so my shop grows

hello! just stopping in to say that my shop continues to grow. i am adding new item everyday and continuing to think of crafty ideas to share my photos. i have business cards in hand, pretty packaging material and promotion postcards that i can't wait bundle all together and send out!
note cards and postcards are coming soon + a secret surprise that will be revealed in time. i hope you can stop by and see what's new.




also, i am open to suggestions so if there is an image of mine you don't see on there that you think would do well, let me know! i love your opinion.

hope you have a relaxing sunday. yesterday i took a hike that is known for its huckleberry bushes. we picked quite a few of those little sweet berries (until i fell and decided to head straight back to the car). now i am off for a bike ride to the farmer's market, looking for some pickling projects. green beans? cucumbers? carrots? should be tasty!

*****
inspired by lea, i am replying to comments here:
lecia: good for you! enjoy the beach and the last weekend of summer.
ida: i'm glad you enjoyed both links!

and the winner is...

thank you all for your great feedback and encouragement on my 100th post giveaway! i was so touched by all of your support and i hope to continue to have such a great community into my blog's 200th post. with help from random.org, i have chosen the winner...

congratulations to:
at swim-two-birds!
i will send you an email for shipping information.

***

and because of your great feedback, i am excited to announce the unveiling of my shop! it is called sweet potato anna and it will contain some of my favorite film photographs, both from the vintage yashica electro and from my holga. i've started off with prints of the photos shown in the 100th post giveaway, but i will soon add more items, including postcards, large prints and hopefully notebooks down the road. i do hope you will stop by and maybe even tell your friends. if there is any more feedback or suggestions you have, please let me know. i am open to learning as much as i can.

and, as a bonus, for my opening week i am having a sale. choose any two photos in my shop and get the second one half off!

thanks again to all of you out there in the big world who come here and say hello. you make me excited to be on the internet.