Yesterday, after spending some time on the couch with my brand new food baby, I managed to get the energy together to start the Christmas decorating. The tree still has to be put up, but otherwise we're sorted! (I'll share my favorite homemade decoration with you next week. It's a classic, but so, so easy!)
So, in keeping with the post-Thanksgiving tradition of decorating the house, I thought I'd share some of the decorations I only wish I had in this week's I Spy.
From the top:
Merry and Bright Garland, by sarahisabella, available in her etsy shop
Arctic Express, Christmas Bus Roll Canvas, by TransitDesign, available in their etsy shop (My absolute favorite, since I'm a huge holiday movie fan. Miracle on 34th Street is another Thanksgiving Day tradition in our house.)
Pick-and-Mix String Lights, by Cable and Cotton, available from Not on the High Street
Red Berry Wreath, available from Cox & Cox
Christmas Tree Cookie Cutters, available from Cox & Cox
Happy decorating!
Friday, November 26, 2010
The new products. Thank God, the new products.*
Okay, that is admittedly a somewhat weird post title. I might explain it if you keep reading...
Meanwhile, happy Black Friday! (For my non-'Mercan friends, Black Friday is day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year in America--the traditional official beginning of the Christmas season, and the day retailers go into the black for the year. Allegedly.)
To mark this very special day, I have some very special new products for you all. So, I'll just say that all of these are available exclusively in my ArtFire shop. Now let's get stuck in...
Gift tags:
I love these papercut gift tags! They're made from a combination of found, recycled, and handmade Italian papers. Each set of 6 comes with 3 solid tags, with the hand-cut designs you can see below, and 3 patterned tags, with a hand-cut Christmas tree on each. Perfect for tying onto your gifts with ribbon, or sticking on with a little swipe of the glue stick!
Solid tags: kraft with snowman, red with garlanded tree, green with holly leaves and berry.
And, of course, even though each set contains the same elements, each tag is hand-cut and therefore unique!
Ornaments:
I've had so much fun this week putting together these ornaments, an ethereal take on the traditional ball ornament.
Right now they come in green (made from a totally luxe handmade Bangladeshi paper) and white (a delicate-looking, lacey white Japanese paper), but I'll be adding more colors to the inventory over the weekend!
These are all hand-sewn, with ribbon (pale blue rikrak, satiny red, or satiny green) or twine loops. The loops have been both sewn and glued on, for extra security.
The range this year also includes these lovely text ornaments. Each of these sweet and light ornaments is unique, featuring different types of edging and different button embellishments. Also, each has an invisible fishing line loop.
Wreaths:
Last but absolutely not least are some lovely wreaths! These have been such a joy to make. Combining new and vintage ribbons and trims, and all sorts of papers and buttons has been so much fun.
This one features gray grosgrain ribbon, navy and gray super-wide matte grosgrain ribbon, newspaper roses (including the Financial Times, for a hint of pink), and some of my most fun new and vintage buttons in lots of different textures.
I'm loving gray right now, so this one has quite a bit of gray as well! With a base of burgundy grosgrain, embellishments of cream and gray trimming, and a great bunch of roses, it has an adorable country chic feel.
I think this one is so sweet. (But please note that these are indoor-only wreaths! I took this photo outside because the light was a little weak that day.)
And for an unabashedly cheery, springy, country feel, I have one last wreath to share. With a base of natural hemp twine to set off the bright fringe flowers, this wreath is a great way to have spring in your house any time you like.
That's all for now, but I'll be adding new items to the ArtFire shop right up to Christmas, so keep checking back! Also, I'm keeping back a few goodies that anyone coming to the East London Christmas Craft Emporium this Saturday will have first crack at... including some new ornament varieties, and at least one lovely holiday wreath, so be sure to stop by if you're in London!
*While riding through Delhi--which as the capital of India is home to all the Indian armed forces--we passed a billboard for the Indian Army that read only, "The guns. Thank God, the guns." M. thought this was the most hilarious thing he'd ever seen, and I've since traced (read: googled) it as a Rudyard Kipling quote, apparently beloved of the Indian Army.
Meanwhile, happy Black Friday! (For my non-'Mercan friends, Black Friday is day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year in America--the traditional official beginning of the Christmas season, and the day retailers go into the black for the year. Allegedly.)
To mark this very special day, I have some very special new products for you all. So, I'll just say that all of these are available exclusively in my ArtFire shop. Now let's get stuck in...
Gift tags:
I love these papercut gift tags! They're made from a combination of found, recycled, and handmade Italian papers. Each set of 6 comes with 3 solid tags, with the hand-cut designs you can see below, and 3 patterned tags, with a hand-cut Christmas tree on each. Perfect for tying onto your gifts with ribbon, or sticking on with a little swipe of the glue stick!
Solid tags: kraft with snowman, red with garlanded tree, green with holly leaves and berry.
And, of course, even though each set contains the same elements, each tag is hand-cut and therefore unique!
Ornaments:
I've had so much fun this week putting together these ornaments, an ethereal take on the traditional ball ornament.
Right now they come in green (made from a totally luxe handmade Bangladeshi paper) and white (a delicate-looking, lacey white Japanese paper), but I'll be adding more colors to the inventory over the weekend!
These are all hand-sewn, with ribbon (pale blue rikrak, satiny red, or satiny green) or twine loops. The loops have been both sewn and glued on, for extra security.
The range this year also includes these lovely text ornaments. Each of these sweet and light ornaments is unique, featuring different types of edging and different button embellishments. Also, each has an invisible fishing line loop.
Wreaths:
Last but absolutely not least are some lovely wreaths! These have been such a joy to make. Combining new and vintage ribbons and trims, and all sorts of papers and buttons has been so much fun.
This one features gray grosgrain ribbon, navy and gray super-wide matte grosgrain ribbon, newspaper roses (including the Financial Times, for a hint of pink), and some of my most fun new and vintage buttons in lots of different textures.
I'm loving gray right now, so this one has quite a bit of gray as well! With a base of burgundy grosgrain, embellishments of cream and gray trimming, and a great bunch of roses, it has an adorable country chic feel.
I think this one is so sweet. (But please note that these are indoor-only wreaths! I took this photo outside because the light was a little weak that day.)
And for an unabashedly cheery, springy, country feel, I have one last wreath to share. With a base of natural hemp twine to set off the bright fringe flowers, this wreath is a great way to have spring in your house any time you like.
That's all for now, but I'll be adding new items to the ArtFire shop right up to Christmas, so keep checking back! Also, I'm keeping back a few goodies that anyone coming to the East London Christmas Craft Emporium this Saturday will have first crack at... including some new ornament varieties, and at least one lovely holiday wreath, so be sure to stop by if you're in London!
*While riding through Delhi--which as the capital of India is home to all the Indian armed forces--we passed a billboard for the Indian Army that read only, "The guns. Thank God, the guns." M. thought this was the most hilarious thing he'd ever seen, and I've since traced (read: googled) it as a Rudyard Kipling quote, apparently beloved of the Indian Army.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Pondicherry
The day after Diwali, we headed south for a quick one-day trip to Pondicherry. Our timing couldn't have been worse.
Our one day in Pondicherry also happened to be the day that a typhoon made landfall in Andra Pradesh, just north of Tamil Nadu. This meant that Pondicherry came in for quite a bit of rain and wind, and we seemed doomed to be stuck in our hotel room all day, staring out the window at this:
Uninspiring, right? But the hotel refused to call us a cab. And, looking at the roads, we couldn't blame them.
We had just resigned ourselves to a day of Indian TV, including gems like this:
Needless to say, "the game vas the date" is now a catchphrase in our house.
We had planned to do some shopping, and visit the famous paper factory of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, but unfortunately almost everything was shut due to the typhoon.
We did make it to the ashram, thanks to the guidance of the little dog in the bottom of the frame. It was lovely, but no pictures were allowed inside. The paper factory, one of the main reasons I had wanted to visit Pondicherry, was not open, unfortunately.
The ashram was in the lovely French quarter of Pondicherry.
The Bay of Bengal was still open, at least.
And quite beautifully rough, thanks to the storm.
Even the temples were closed.
But after a few hours wandering around taking photos, the rain was clearly not done with us yet. So we headed back to the hotel, where I spent the remainder of the evening messing around with this lovely new scarf:
And the next morning we headed out bright and early on our way to Delhi, for the last stop of our trip.
Our one day in Pondicherry also happened to be the day that a typhoon made landfall in Andra Pradesh, just north of Tamil Nadu. This meant that Pondicherry came in for quite a bit of rain and wind, and we seemed doomed to be stuck in our hotel room all day, staring out the window at this:
Uninspiring, right? But the hotel refused to call us a cab. And, looking at the roads, we couldn't blame them.
We had just resigned ourselves to a day of Indian TV, including gems like this:
Needless to say, "the game vas the date" is now a catchphrase in our house.
Fortunately, the skies cleared (ish) and then so did the streets (ish). The hotel still wouldn't call us a cab (no clue why), so we ventured out on our own and grabbed a rickshaw.
We had planned to do some shopping, and visit the famous paper factory of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, but unfortunately almost everything was shut due to the typhoon.
We did make it to the ashram, thanks to the guidance of the little dog in the bottom of the frame. It was lovely, but no pictures were allowed inside. The paper factory, one of the main reasons I had wanted to visit Pondicherry, was not open, unfortunately.
The ashram was in the lovely French quarter of Pondicherry.
The Bay of Bengal was still open, at least.
And quite beautifully rough, thanks to the storm.
Even the temples were closed.
But after a few hours wandering around taking photos, the rain was clearly not done with us yet. So we headed back to the hotel, where I spent the remainder of the evening messing around with this lovely new scarf:
And the next morning we headed out bright and early on our way to Delhi, for the last stop of our trip.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Wanstead: Den of Insanity
According to the Londonist blog, our new neighborhood is a hot-bed of UFO enthusiasts and the sort. I especially like the part about the four-foot high thing wandering around Hollow Pond (a few minutes' walk from our new place). Sounds like an English version of Sasquatch.
Friday, November 19, 2010
I Spy Friday
This week I've got a girly gift guide to share with you. My only criterion for making this list was that it could only include things I'd love to find under the tree.
Wild Whisper Notebook by Sarah Hough, available from Gertie and Mabel
Blue No No Small Clasp Purse by Teresa Green Purses, available from Gertie and Mabel
Completely Perfect Print by Gail Bryson, available from Pedlars
Happy shopping!
From the top, they are:
Vintage Button Hair Grips by Samantha Stas, available from Not on the High Street
Tweedy Bee Reversible Hat, by Flipside Hats, available from World of Good
Pretty Pink Vintage Teacup Candle, by Teacup Candles, available from Not on the High StreetWild Whisper Notebook by Sarah Hough, available from Gertie and Mabel
Blue No No Small Clasp Purse by Teresa Green Purses, available from Gertie and Mabel
Completely Perfect Print by Gail Bryson, available from Pedlars
Happy shopping!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
South Indian Tea
One of the things I really cottoned to on our trip was South Indian tea. I'd been familiar with South Indian coffee for a while, since my MIL makes it for M. every time he visits home. I've never liked coffee, so I never tried it, but it always seemed like the kind of coffee I could get behind. You see, it's brewed in milk instead of in water. And then it's served in metal cups like these:
The coffee is poured back and forth between the two before drinking, to cool it slightly and thoroughly mix any sugar in. Watching someone expertly and absentmindedly stream the coffee from cup to cup--without looking at the cups--while chatting to friends is quite a sight.
So, in India, when I saw South Indian tea on the menu, I jumped at the chance to try it. And then I had more every chance I got. So, when we got home, I had to perfect a method to make South Indian tea at home. After a week of tweaking, I think I've got it down.
Here's what you'll need:
If you don't have loose tea or a strainer, a few tea bags would work.
After assembling the ingredients, pour a mug's worth of milk (plus a dollop, to account for the milk the tea sucks up) into a pot and on a burner at medium heat. Meanwhile, add as much sugar as you like to your mug.
I like to use my enamel milk pot from Labour and Wait. It heats beautifully and makes pouring simple and clean. Once the milk has heated up a little bit, add one-two teaspoons of tea to the pot. (More if you like your tea stronger.) You'll need more tea than normal to get the strength you're used to, since the milk won't get to boiling.
This is the important part: stir. Stir, stir, stir. You want the milk to get quite hot, even simmer a little, but don't let it boil or you'll get a yucky skin on your milk. You may need to turn down the heat a little at this point.
Once the tea has reached the appropriate strength for your taste, pour it into your mug.
This step is also very important, though not very photogenic: be sure to rinse the spoon you used to stir the tea leaves before you use it to stir up the sugar in your mug.
Add some buttered toast, an orange, and some blogs for the perfect breakfast of champions.
Yummers.
So, to sum up:
Ingredients: tea, sugar, milk
Materials: pot, strainer (not necessary if you're using bagged tea), mug, spoon
Heat up milk on the stovetop over medium heat. Add sugar to taste to your mug. Once the milk has gotten warm, add tea to taste to the pot. Stir continually as the milk heats, never letting the milk quite come to a boil. Once the tea has reached the desired strength, pour it through the filter into your mug. Rinse your spoon before stirring in the sugar.
 |
| Davarah (or dabarah) and tumbler. Unfortunately we don't have these at home (I yanked this image from Wikipedia). |
So, in India, when I saw South Indian tea on the menu, I jumped at the chance to try it. And then I had more every chance I got. So, when we got home, I had to perfect a method to make South Indian tea at home. After a week of tweaking, I think I've got it down.
Here's what you'll need:
 |
| Dirty stove is optional. |
After assembling the ingredients, pour a mug's worth of milk (plus a dollop, to account for the milk the tea sucks up) into a pot and on a burner at medium heat. Meanwhile, add as much sugar as you like to your mug.
I like to use my enamel milk pot from Labour and Wait. It heats beautifully and makes pouring simple and clean. Once the milk has heated up a little bit, add one-two teaspoons of tea to the pot. (More if you like your tea stronger.) You'll need more tea than normal to get the strength you're used to, since the milk won't get to boiling.
This is the important part: stir. Stir, stir, stir. You want the milk to get quite hot, even simmer a little, but don't let it boil or you'll get a yucky skin on your milk. You may need to turn down the heat a little at this point.
Once the tea has reached the appropriate strength for your taste, pour it into your mug.
 |
| This is the best photo I've ever taken. Left-handed, with my arm curled around into my chest and it's in decent focus. I'm pushing the bounds of what is humanly possible! |
Add some buttered toast, an orange, and some blogs for the perfect breakfast of champions.
Yummers.
So, to sum up:
Ingredients: tea, sugar, milk
Materials: pot, strainer (not necessary if you're using bagged tea), mug, spoon
Heat up milk on the stovetop over medium heat. Add sugar to taste to your mug. Once the milk has gotten warm, add tea to taste to the pot. Stir continually as the milk heats, never letting the milk quite come to a boil. Once the tea has reached the desired strength, pour it through the filter into your mug. Rinse your spoon before stirring in the sugar.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Craftacular Christmas Extravaganza!
It's my 100th post! And I can't think of a better post for it than this...
Next month (December 4, to be exact) I'll be joining some lovely friends at the William Morris Gallery for the Craft Guerrilla Christmas Market!!
Come and browse through a selection of designer hand-crafted items and find that perfect gift.
It's the kind of event that will have ladies fainting and gentlemen swooning for all things handmade!!!
Craft Guerrilla is all about providing shoppers with quality, desirable, handmade gifts that you won't find in any High Street shops.
This year Craft Guerrilla have teamed up with our gorgeous sponsors CraftNation.com to present the good people of London with a different kind of shopping experience. It's a CRAFT weekend extravaganza with two days of fabulous handmade loveliness. There will be different designer makers at both dates so it's well worth making a weekend of it!
So to sum up: fabulous museum + Yuletide spirit in abundance + me and some of my crafty besties + the lovely ladies of the ELCG = the perfect way to spend your weekend. And be sure to come on both days, since the Sunday show is completely different from the Saturday show!
Next month (December 4, to be exact) I'll be joining some lovely friends at the William Morris Gallery for the Craft Guerrilla Christmas Market!!
William Morris Gallery, Forest Rd. Walthamstow London E17 4PP
Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th of December.
11am to 4pm
Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th of December.
11am to 4pm
Roll up, roll up for the greatest show on earth: a Christmas craft weekender showcasing the finest, most beautacious and delectable London based indie crafters!
Come and browse through a selection of designer hand-crafted items and find that perfect gift.
It's the kind of event that will have ladies fainting and gentlemen swooning for all things handmade!!!
Craft Guerrilla is all about providing shoppers with quality, desirable, handmade gifts that you won't find in any High Street shops.
So to sum up: fabulous museum + Yuletide spirit in abundance + me and some of my crafty besties + the lovely ladies of the ELCG = the perfect way to spend your weekend. And be sure to come on both days, since the Sunday show is completely different from the Saturday show!
p.s. Did I mention that you can win some prizes?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Diwali in Chennai
We arrived in Chennai on Thursday the fourth, the day before Diwali Day. Diwali (the w is pronounced like a v) is a month-long celebration in the fall that culminates on the final day, which is also called, simply, Diwali. It's a festival of light, sweets, and happiness. And new clothes. It's a time for fireworks and family and flowers.
Flowers in my hair and new kurta on my back, I was ready for Diwali day. I spent a lot of the time trying to get pictures of what was going on in the street, because there's no central, municipal-run celebration. Every family's celebration spills out and whole blocks light sparklers and firecrackers together. So, I won't clutter this post up with too many more of my own words, just a caption here or there to clarify what you're seeing.
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| Cow ignoring motorbike. |
 | |
| Flower sellers |
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| Autumn in Chennai |
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