Preview of new project!

Pink and white breakfast

grapefruit, Greek yogurt and honey (and gummy vitamins)

Lisa Hannigan

The dearest song I've heard in a long time - "Pistachio" by Irish singer Lisa Hannigan:



And this sassy little one:

Paper for dessert

One of the undeniable perks of working part time at Paper Hammer is the wonderful stack of art and design books that we sell that I get to flip through. 

Yesterday I browsed the catalog for a 2009 exhibition at Bellevue Art Museum called The Book Borrowers: Contemporary Artists Transforming the Book.  There were three artists that left me just a little bit breathless: Georgia Russell, Jacqueline Rush Lee and Guy Laramée.  Just a few pictures to show you what I mean.  First, Scottish artist Georgia Russell:

Le Bleu du Ciel

De Baudelaire au Surrealisme

Psychologie

 Her little book monster creatures are so pathetic and touching, paper tendrils reaching ineffectually.  Poor things, so exposed after having been thoroughly dissected.  I'm struck by how much I perceive vulnerability in her objects.  It moves me even more than their obvious beauty. 

Now for the Hawaiian artist Jacqueline Rush Lee:

Lorem Ipsum II

Inside Out

Flutter

Petrified Book

 So geological, so massive, so unabashedly decorative (and I use this word as a compliment).

Canadian Guy Laramée:

(Tectonique 4) Toutes les idées se ressemblent

Petra

I love that he leaves the book forms so obvious.  YUM. 

A delicious half-day's work

Last week I picked up a quart of milk from Silver Springs Creamery - really creamy, rich, good stuff.  I had tried to make a simple farmer's cheese a couple weeks ago with milk from Trader Joe's and failed miserably.  My curds never set up properly.  So this time, with proper milk and some calcium chloride and an extra squeeze of rennet for good luck, I ended up with a very lovely fresh cheese!  I also mixed in some minced garlic.  I used this recipe.  When forming the cheese at the end, I didn't pack the mold very tightly- that's why mine look a bit like rice krispie treats.

And then I decided to make some bread, since one can't have cheese without something to eat it on.  Here's my simple little recipe, which was cobbled together from six different recipes online:

Mix about 2 tsp of yeast with 4 cups of very warm water and a big spoonful of honey.  Slowly add 5 cups of flour into the yeast.  Let sit for 45 minutes to let it rise.  I put my dough in the oven (NOT turned on) so it wouldn't be disturbed.  Toss in about 2 tsp. of salt, 1/4 cup of olive oil and started kneading more flour in.  Keep going until the dough doesn't stick to your hands and the bowl anymore.  I ended up kneading in about 2 1/2 more cups of flour.  Coat a bowl and the dough in oil and let it sit for another 45 minutes.  Then, punch it a few times to push out some of the gas (very satisfying...)  Shape the dough into loaves or boules and let it sit a little longer, about a half hour.  Bake for about 45 minutes on 350 degrees F.  Cool, slice and enjoy!    

Right before baking!

Voila.

With a smear of homemade cheese.

Photoshoot preview

 Naomi is wearing Gray Thorn Earrings and necklace.

 Naomi is wearing the Pomegranate necklace and the Fig necklace.

The Quatre Cinq brooch.

Brittany is wearing the Brass Dangle Earrings.

Brittany is wearing the Sliver of Moon Ring, the Sliver of Moon necklace, Mini-torc ring, Agincourt Ring and Silver Flame ring.

 

More to come!

Photographer:  Rachel K. Sumner
Models:  Naomi and Brittany
Jewelry:  Dorothy Cheng Jewelry