Miss Modish- Mojo Maker

Picture Perfect: idea

Silky silky now...

I've been eyeballing the beeeaaauuuuutiful and oh so original jewelry by Tinctory for so long, I can't believe I haven't written about it yet!  So, I figure it's high time to introduce you to the work, if you haven't seen it yet, or remind how droolworthy it is if you've already seen it around blogland:

Made from silk in luscious colors that is hand-smocked with vibrant, coordinating thread, these necklaces and rings are just stunning!  I love the full fan shaped pendants the best, but there are lots of options in different color ranges and a price range that'll fit any budget.  Take a peek at the entire line at Tinctory!

New at Nea!

In case you missed out on the first round, Nea has just released a new batch of their wonderful wall wear!

Featuring hand-embroidered images on linen, some with beaded embellishments, these wonderful pieces will add a little old-school crafty goodness to your walls!  In adorable designs like mustaches, duckies, raindrops and flowers, you can find the one that fits your personality the best.  New designs are up now, and more to come today!  Also, while you're peeping around, be sure to check out the new "Quit Your Day Job" interview with Nea creator, Janick!

Polaroid fashion

Going through my bursting at the seams submissions folder in my inbox this morning, I stumbled upon these wonderful fashion prints by Capree Kimball:

The original photos were shot on Polaroid Type 55 film and all the texture, spotting and graininess was done on the negatives themselves- no photoshopping here!  Plus, I love the old "masquerade ball" or turn of the century carnival feeling of the images themselves- all these lovely ladies look like they are hiding a secret or two... Check out the whole collection of fashion prints, along with other eye-catching photography, in Capree's etsy shop!  (psst: she's offering free shipping on orders over $25 til Aug 31st!)

Newage Ammo

In the realm of the geodes that I so love, are these cool new "Unearthen" necklaces at Bona Drag!

Made from amethyst and quartz crystals that are encased in spent bullets, they're a surefire (pun intended! :) way to gain compliments galore.  They're a little pricey, but handmade with care and feature beautiful natural elements that make each one a little different from the next.  Plus, crystals are notorious for their healing powers- they can help calm you, boost your self-esteem, increase clarity and many other things- different types of crystals have different properties, so check them all out to find your best fit!

Eco-Friendly Find: Blossom Creations

Blossom Creations is a cute little Australian shop selling wonderful paper and home goods by owner, Erin Corvisy.  She's just released her new line of goodies (keep in mind, spring is coming on the other side of the equator) and every one of them is made in an environmentally sustainable way!  Plus, they're darn cute!

In beautiful designs graced with lemon yellow, turquoise blue and khaki, each item proves that eco-conscious can be chic too.  The cards and notebooks are made from 100% recycled content.  The tea towels, pillows, aprons and other home goods are made from hemp, organic cotton and other natural, sustainable fibers.  And all the designs are printed by hand with water and vegetable based inks.  Take a peek at the entire collection, sure to whet your "I need that!" whistle, at Blossom Creations.  And thanks Erin, for going the extra mile to make eco-friendly, fabulous goods!

Sponsor Spolight: Matilda's Boutique

Visit Matilda's Boutique for hand-crafted, world inspired jewelry.  Use code "modish20" at checkout to get 20% off your order!

Picture Perfect: Cleanwash

Small Things

I think I just found one of the most perfect combinations in photography- ttv and miniatures.  By James Spicer, these photos of scenes made up of miniatures, shot thru the viewfinder, are simply wonderful:

I love the artificial feeling.  The stillness.  The finely crafted little scenes.  And the vintage, speckled, scratched feel brought by the way the photos were shot makes them feel like stills from a 1960's movie.  I'm just in love with them all!  If only I could decide on a couple favorites, I would snatch them up right now!  Be sure to take a peek at the whole collection, along with a companion book of the series, in James Spicer's shop!

Modish Shop Tour: Of Cabbages & Kings

Today I'm pleased to show you around another international shop specializing in handmade cuteness, Of Cabbages & Kings!  Owner, Jessica, just opened in London a few months ago and is already finding a great response from her community.  Let's take a little virtual look around, shall we?  (click "continue reading" at the end for the full tour!)

What is the name of your shop and where is it located?  How long have you been in business?
The name Of Cabbages & Kings is taken from Lewis Carol’s Poem ‘The Walrus and the Carpenter’ and is intended to reflect the eccentric array of weird and wonderful things the shop sells. The shop is tucked away on Kersley Road, a side street from Church Street, the main shopping thoroughfare in Stoke Newington, London.  We’ve only been open since May, so it’s still early days, but the shop’s receiving such a good response from local people; they seem really excited by it.

What sorts of items do you sell?  Who are some of the designers you carry?
Of Cabbages & Kings sells all sorts of handmade and designer gifts and accessories including ceramics by Hanne Rysgaard, handmade bags by Emma Gordon, jewellery and frippery by Hoolala, tea sets by Lillibule and vintage charm jewellery by Eclectic Eccentricity. The premises has been derelict for many years, but a few people have informed me that it was once a tuck shop, so I have a selecion of traditional sweets, sherbet lemons and cola cubes etc, in respect of this.

Old School!

Speaking of back to school season, the "Old School" show at the Uppercase gallery just opened!  The show is a celebration of 20th century education, inspired by wooden desks, science fairs, flash cards, lunchboxes, chalk, lockers and everything that reminds you of your school years... The art from the show is available to purchase online, and will ship after Sept. 30th once the live exhibition is over.  It features some incredible works by incredible artists.  There is also a companion "Old School" book for sale filled with 192 pages of all the wonderful works featured in the show.  Check it all out at Uppercase!

{art by Holli Conger, Five and a Half, Lisa Congdon, Renee Garner, Lori Andrews & Julia Rothman, all available in the show}

Can you smell the fall air?

It's cool, cloudy and rainy with a high in the 60's... my favorite flavor of a perfect day.  School is starting around town, and there's a definite feeling of fall in the air.  It's on its way, and I can't wait!  To celebrate the ushering in of my favorite season of the year, I found some fall fantastic accessories on etsy by Year of the Goat:

There's beautiful tunic sweaters made from hand-spun yarn, snap-up cowls to keep your neck warm, cute berets, funky wrist-warmers and hip knitted leg warmers that fit over your shoes... all the goods are just lovely, hand-knit with care and style in a variety of perfect for fall colors.   Check out the whole collection of original designs at Year of the Goat, and you'll be looking pretty this fall!

Loving that Dairy Air

Images Below: Homemade yogurt with fresh peaches and local honey; Yogurt cheese cheesecake.

Out in the garden it's time to plant fall crops. Here in NC it's a week past fall planting prime, but in my gardening with great abandon (or gardening with great unthinking), I missed the window-proper and will be planting my seeds a week or so late. I'm okay with that, though.  The hot temperatures kept the tomatoes green and un-moving all summer, so now temperatures are cooling down just enough for them to rejoin the living, keeping me from ripping them up and composting them.  Perhaps next week I'll have some sprouts to share, in the meantime, I've adopted the "If you can't stand the Summer heat, get back into the kitchen" approach.

If your tomatoes, like mine, took a while to ripen, it may have been the heat outside.  Tomatoes ripen when temperatures reach the upper sixties, but halt growth and lycopene and carotene production when temperatures rise above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

I thought I'd be knee deep in tomatoes by now, and they're coming in, but not so fast that I'm canning them to prevent waste.  Instead, I'm cooking as a distraction from work I need to be doing and from counting the days I'm late for my second bout of planting. A lot of this cooking involves milk products.  Despite my seeming infatuation with dairy, we don't eat it that often.  Though a glance into my refrigerator just might convince you otherwise. 

I recognize the impact of cattle on the environment, but am prone to give in to the delicious dairy crave.  At the same time, though, sometimes a recipe calls for milk, which is my least favorite dairy product.  Give me cheese, please, or butter, or yogurt, but keep that Got Milk campaign to yourself.  I don't want no part of it. When it's time to buy some actual milk, I get mine from a local(-ish) dairy owned by friends of my family.  They love their cows, keep them free from artificial growth hormones, and then slowly pasteurize it, keeping the texture creamy and flavorful.  I use it in the recipe, then it sits in the fridge taunting me every time I open the door, letting me know it's a valuable resource not to be wasted. 

Popular Science Magazine recently discussed food waste:

Fully 18 percent of all food purchased for household use in England and Wales is thrown away. The number is even higher for families with children at 27 percent. A now four year-old study of similar measure in the U.S. puts the American number around 14 percent, with nearly half of all food readied for harvest never making it to a dinner table.

So what's a girl to do?  Make yogurt. Then if you have too much yogurt, turn it into a curry sauce. Or strain it into a cheese very similar in flavor to cream cheese.  If you have no need for cream cheese, make that into cheese cake.  But make sure you keep some of your yogurt, it will become the starter culture for your next batch of heavenly homemade goodness.  Just think of all the resources you'll save by not purchasing plastic tubs with your yogurt every time you get a hankering for a probiotic packed snack.

As for making yogurt, make sure you're working with super sanitized equipment (including your hands!). I should add, I like to make mine in a glass jar, suitable for high temperatures, like Ball jars.  They often have measurements marked on the side, making clean up even easier. I particularly like Wayne's directions at 101 Cookbooks, but thought you want some step by step pictures to help you with the process.  I halved their recipe, so keep in mind my pictures illustrate 2 cups of yogurt being made.

Here's a brief rundown for making yogurt: 

1) Heat: Boil water in a pan on the stove, submerging the jar you'll use to heat your milk, in order to sanitize it.  Using canning tongs, lift the jar and empty the water from it, then add milk. At this time you can add powdered milk for a thicker result.  I opted in for thicker, so I added several tablespoons to the milk, stirring well. Heat your milk to 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Remove the jar from the hot water, allowing it to cool to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Also remove the pan of water from the eye of the stove, allowing it to cool as well.

3) When you've reached your desired temperature with the milk (+/- 2 degrees), it's safe to add your yogurt starter.  I used 1/4 cup Stoneyfield Farm Organic Plain Yogurt because it had the most active cultures of any the  grocery store offered.

4) At this point you want to maintain an environment to keep the cultures happy. Check to make sure the hot water has cooled to 110 degrees. Get out a heating pad on a flat surface out of the way of drafts. Put the pan on the heating pad. Place the jar back in pot. 5) Put a lid on it, making sure to disturb the busy little bacteria.  Turn the heating pad on low to maintain that optimal 110 degree temperature. 6) Wrap it all up with a towel for a little extra insulation and leave it alone.  Resist the urge to check on it, though checking on the temperature is a good idea.  The length of time you allow it to incubate, will alter the taste.  If you like a thinner yogurt it may be ready in as little as 6 hours.  If you like a thicker, tangier yogurt leave it for 12 hours.  Experiment and find the flavor that suits you best!

Renee Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish thumb wants her to believe otherwise.  When mud pies aren't on the menu, you can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.

Picture Perfect: MarianneS

Juicy!

Summer is quickly coming to a close, but these adorable little post earrings by Misty Aurora remind me of the best thing about summer- delicious juicy fruit! 

I discovered these when the Swedish artist, Dina B, added me to her flickr contacts this morning and thought they were super original!  Made from polymer clay, you can choose from lemons, limes, kiwis and watermelons too (on her site!) to add a little summery zest to your outfit, anytime of year! 

Perfection

I know these have made the blog rounds already, but I am so in love with these new agate necklaces by Stone & Honey, I seriously can't stop thinking about them!  They're haunting my dreams! :) 

Each necklace is totally one-of-a-kind, made with a stunning piece of agate in colors ranging from the deepest black to the brightest pink.  Then, they're adorned with silver pinwheel, honeycomb and crystal designs.  The pairing of the delicate metal shapes upon these naturally beautiful stone elements is just blow my mind perfect.  Modern, organic and totally original.  The hardest part is deciding which one you like best!  Check out all the incredible designs at Stone & Honey!

Opposites attract

The Pairabirds art is a blending of opposites- minimalist yet detailed, inspired by both nature and urban graffiti, a little retro yet modern all at once.  And oh, how I like it!

From simple line drawings accented with just a bit of white, to more graphic mixed media pieces to colorful paintings of lovely people- each piece by The Pairabirds has spunk and personality, sure to liven up any space.  Check out the whole collection by the talented illustrator behind the work, Tabitha Bianca Brown, at The Pairabirds website or in her etsy shop.

Picture Perfect: Liza Rietz

Eco-Friendly Find: Bread and Badger

Bread and Badger, home to hand-etched glass goodness, has just released their new eco-friendly fall line!  It features spouted bottles and soap pumps made from recycled glass, and hand etched with wonderful banjo playing badgers, cicadas and other fun designs.  You add the oil and vinegar or colorful soap to the clear glass for a fun splash of color, as well as a pretty way to store your handy dandies! 

They also have vases and other items made from recycled glass, or up-cycled from thrift store glass finds.  And, not recycled, but still oh so wonderful, are their little blue shot glasses etched with ships and fun pint glasses with a mustache on the side!  Each style comes in a variety of etched designs for you to choose from- check them all out for yourself!  And while you're there, be sure to snoop around as selected summer items are marked 25-50% off!

It's where the heart is...

We've been in Portland for awhile now in a lovely little apartment in our favorite area of town, but a recent addition to the family (a big black lab mix!) has made it apparent that it's time for a change, time for a home with a yard and room to run, room to stretch out, room to grow a little.  We just started our search for the perfect little rental home this weekend, and found a good one last night (fingers crossed!)  Then, just this morning, I found an email waiting for me from Jill Davis, introducing me to her incredible jewelry, all which are like little celebrations of "home."  Perhaps it's a sign?

These would make lovely housewarming gifts, thanks for moving in with me gifts or just a tiny reminder of what, I think, should be your favorite place to be- your home.  Check out the whole line of adorable little houses in Jill Davis' shop!