Item of the day: Yellow Stripes

I love this shirt by replicca - the cheery yellow stripes, the polka dots, the curved bottom... even better, replicca is a local shop! She's even been in the local Hamilton paper (The Spectator). Too cool!

Item of the day: Peacock Tree

I've blogged about Geninne's wonderful shop before (and have purchased her bird print #21), but I just had to feature this print as the item of the day. The colourful tree full of cheerful peacocks is just stunning! I definitely needed this to brighten my day.

Rosemary

Rosemary has been the family bunny for over 6 years - she was such a shy little thing when we first got her. But in the last few years, she had the run of the house. As soon as both my parents woke up, she would demand part of her breakfast from each of them, scratching at their legs & grunting until she got her way. When my mom cleaned her cage, she'd immediately get in & start rearranging the new straw.She was so sweet. So special.
She went missing this past Wednesday. By now, we're sure she's gone.

At my parents place, there's a sliding glass door that's almost constantly open in the summer. On Wednesday night, my dad's birthday no less, the door was left open, unsupervised, for 30 minutes, max. In previous years, Rosemary would go sit on the porch if people were around, but she hadn't all last year - since my parents got a big German Shepperd pretty much. So it isn't likely that Rosemary got out. What is likely is that one of the dogs got in. My brother lives down the road, & they have a Husky that has killed wild rabbits before (she's never eaten them, but Buster, the Shepperd has eaten a couple of our chickens....) so it was most likely them.

My parents are crushed. Poor Rosemary. The worst part is not knowing - there are no traces of the deed. No strewn hay through the house, no blood, no fur, no nothing. It's a lot easier when there's a body to bury.Here she is with Pork Chop, our awesome 3-legged cat who also just disappeared a couple of years ago. My two favourite childhood pets - just gone.

I've cried more for Rosemary than any other pet - possibly because I haven't seen her since Easter, and now I never will again. And also because she was so special, she'll always have a special place in my heart - my first bunny (and you all probably know how much I love bunnies). All I have to remember her by are these 4 pictures.

Rest in peace, sweet Rosemary.

Item of the day: Paddleboats

I just love this sweet, simple print by Stockton. Who hasn't, at one point or another, felt like the black sheep of a group (or swan, as the case may be)?

Item of the day: Silkscreen Photo Locket

A friend on the wonderful MMG BnR pointed me over to urbanrose - and I absolutely love these silkscreened photo lockets! I couldn't pick a favourite, here are 2:This quaint little quail .... er, pretty partridge, is definitely my style - bright, fun and oh so sweet!I recognized this (piece of a) picture right away. I love mythology, and I have many books on the topic. This lovely lady happens to be Pandora - I recognized her mostly because she's painted by John Waterhouse, one of my favourite artists.

Unique, personable - besides, everyone needs at least one locket! Which one is your favourite?

Our rings

Our rings from titaniumknights came in today - with was super fast! They're beautiful!!! I'm so excited they're finally here!

The Beaches (Treasury)

I curated a poster sketch yesterday after seeing a listing with a cute baby. I was lucky enough to catch a treasury today - check it out!Check out my treasury The Beaches HERE - don't wait, it expires Friday at 6PM! If you do miss it, just click on the picture to see it larger!

Recipe: Vanilla Lemonade

I found this recipe last summer on Inside A Black Apple - love the sweet but subtle vanilla twist!

Fresh-Squeezed Vanilla Lemonade

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
5 lemons
1 tsp vanilla
water

Methods:

1. First make a simple syrup. Heat the sugar & water over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let it cool while you squeeze some lemons.

2. Juice 5 lemons directly into a pitcher. Make sure you use a sieve / strainer to catch the seeds (and try not to knock it into the juice ... twice). Or use a juicer thing that I don't have.
3. Add in the sugar syrup and fill the pitcher 3/4 of the way. Add in the vanilla and give it a taste. If it's too strong, add more water. My pitcher was fairly small, so I filled the entire thing.

4. Slice up some of the lemon rind / pulp and add it into the pitcher. Chill before serving.
So refreshing! Enjoy!

Etsy Feature: gogovivi

I've been looking for a simple, cream or light tan leather purse. Of course, I'm fairly picky when it comes to design - nothing too ornate, but not boxy or plain either. I really love these ones by gogovivi.

Camellia in cream - the first one to catch my eye. The perfect size, shape & amount of detail!

Urban hobo in bone - another great shape & size - and a beautiful colour.

Minimalist clutch in mandarin - because a jolt of colour is always a good thing. And again, the shape of this is just too cute - I love the multiple pockets!

Summer

Things I love about the summer:

1. taking cold showers
2. letting my hair air-dry
3. fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, corn on the cob4. long walks & bike rides
5. sitting on the waterfront, taking in the breeze
6. Tim Horton's iced cappuccinos (French vanilla or chocolate mint)
7. having all the windows open
8. grabbing keys & sunglasses & just going out (without having to bundle up)
9. it still being light out when Pat gets home from work
10. fresh squeezed vanilla lemonadeEnjoy - it's only here for a few short months!

Item of the day: tea cups for four

I love tea bowls - they're more fun and casual than actual tea cups (and I'm guessing more traditionally Asian as well). These gorgeous hand-painted tea cups from sukopetals is a fusion of both designs - very clean & classy. Now if only there was a matching tea pot... Be sure to check out sukopetals other items! This is a brand new shop waiting for it's first sale - will it be from you?

Item of the day: Nest

I love these nest structural bowls by heatherpalmer. This particular shade of steel blue is my favourite, which is yours?

Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Cupcake

I found this recipe on Bakerella - but of course her cupcakes are much fancier than mine. They have a decadent goat cheese frosting and a chocolate ganache filling. But I figured they'd be an easy way to use up my last zucchini if I got rid of all the frills - it wasn't like I was baking these for anyone but myself! And they were oh so tasty! Even Pat ate one without realizing there was zucchini in it (though he saw the pile of shredded zucchini before it got incorporated into the batter)!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup half & half cream (or whole milk)
1 cup shredded/grated zucchini (about 1 medium sized)
around 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda & salt with a whisk. Set aside.

3. Cream butter. Add in sugar, eggs, oil & vanilla, beating well between each addition.

4. Mix in the flour & milk alternating between the two, with 3 additions of flour and 2 additions of milk (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Mix well between each addition.

5. Gently mix in zucchini & chocolate chips. Fill muffin / cupcake cups 2/3 full & bake for 15-18 minutes.

Easy Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 tbsp half & half cream (or whole milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Methods:

1. Beat all ingredients together. Add more or less icing sugar to reach desired consistency.

2. Ice cupcakes.
Enjoy!

Recipe: Leek & Gouda Quiche

Well, I've had quite a few requests for both recipes from last night, so here's the first one. Remember, I modified this from a cheese pie recipe, so it probably isn't how you make a real quiche. In fact, it most definitely isn't how you make a real quiche - but it was delicious, and that's all that matters.

Pat even ate a large slice - though he complained that there was too much leek. Next time, I'll only use 2 leeks and add in some bacon. That should satisfy the carnivore.

Leek & Gouda Quiche

Ingredients:

2 tsp butter
3 leeks (white & light green parts only), chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
salt, pepper & basil, to taste (around 1/4 to 1/2 tsp each)
1 cup + 1/4 cup half & half cream
1 & 1/4 cup shredded Gouda cheese
3 eggs
9" pie crust (either a refrigerated or thawed frozen one)

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Cook the leek & garlic over medium-low heat until soft - about 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup of cream & all of the Gouda. Season with salt, pepper & basil.

4. Whisk eggs with remaining 1/4 cup of cream. Slowly add to leeks. Mix well.

5. Pour into 9" pie crust. I had way too much leek-egg mixture for just one pie - but instead of making 2, I overfilled one & scrambled the rest with an extra egg. Also delicious. Bake on a cookie sheet (you'll be thankful you did when [if] it overflows like mine did) for 30 minutes. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before digging in (I may have forgotten that last step).

Enjoy!

What I had for dinner tonight..

Delicious leek & Gouda quiche. It was sort of an experiment - it's my first quiche ... and I modified the recipe. I started with a "French leek pie" (using a regular pie crust), switched the Gruyere for Gouda and then added eggs. It's DELICIOUS! Followed by a double chocolate zucchini cupcake (with vanilla frosting). Oh, yummmmmm...

Etsy Feature: Studio155

I've been drooling over Studio155's work for about a week now. I can't remember how I first discovered these amazing bird oil paintings, but I absolutely love them. And the gorgeous landscapes are so serene, I just want to step into that world. Here are just a couple of my favourites.

Yellow Bird I

Linen Beach

Wheatgrass

Patriotic

While I'm Canadian, a good part of my customers are American. So when I found a set of Americana papers (within a larger pack of papers), I just knew I had to make up a set of 4th of July mini notebooks. They're perfect for planning out your Independence Day parties - just stick one in your purse, one in your pocket, one beside the phone and you'll never be looking for a pad of paper again!

Rings

This summer, on July 7, Pat & I will celebrate 8 year together. I was only 14 when he first called me (after trying to get my friend Angie to get me to call him) - we talked for hours on the phone each day that summer (and winter). On our 2 year anniversary, he bought me a simple gold promise ring that I've been wearing since. But lately, we've been talking about getting some matching ring - no, no, no, we aren't getting engaged or anything - I just like the sentiment and have wanted him to have a ring too.

After much discussion, we went with these ones by titaniumknights. I love their simplicity & the texture of the brushed finish. We should get them just in time for our anniversary! I can't wait!

WEEKEND YART SALE

It's the YART SALE weekend! Here's my special promotion:

Purchase any necklace* & get a FREE pair of earrings!
Choose from any earrings in my shop, or request a pair to match your necklace. Just leave me a note in the message to seller or send a convo letting me know what you want!

Don't forget, I also have a special YART SALE section where items are marked 20% off!

*excludes necklace sets

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

I'm on the front page of Etsy! My paper globes are featured as part of the yart sale (so handpicked by Etsy admin to appear on the front page - eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!)

YART SALE - Day 3

Today's special promotion:

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL NOTEBOOKS!

YART SALE - Day 2

Day 2 of the YART SALE!!! Here's my special promotion for today:

Buy a paper globe (or commission a custom one) and get a FREE set of 4 tags!
The tags will be like my orange bird tags - but you can choose the colour & the corner stamp design! Choose from a bird, maple leaf, gift box or heart stamped in blue, red, yellow or black ink.
Currently, I only have 2 paper globes listed in my shop - but you can certainly order a custom one! Just let me know the colour scheme / theme you had in mind! I can also make them larger or smaller if you wish.Happy Yart Saling!

YART SALE

It's that time of the year again - yard sale time! It's no different on Etsy - from June 10 - 14 Etsy and team ESST are hosting the second annual YART SALE.

That's yard sale + art = yart sale in case you're wondering!

So come and browse through my YART SALE section, where you'll find select items marked down to 20% off.

I'll also be having a special promotion each day of the sale.

For Wednesday June 10th ONLY, get 50% OFF all seedpods.

Search for seedpods to find them already marked down. And check back tomorrow to see my next special!