Bon Badges!

In 7th grade, I had an wild and crazy English teacher named Mrs. McCunney.  Her claim to fame, aside from her untamed bleach blonde hair and nervous giggle, was the fact that she wore three buttons every day pinned to her lapel.  They never, EVER repeated.  When I stumbled across these French-inspired "badges" from Tea and Ceremony, I immediately thought of her.  And at $3/set of two, they're a great deal!  Make sure you check out Tea and Ceremony's full line of papergoods, specifically the St. Basil's Cathedral Notepad and the Cotton Spool Tags...so lovely.

Recipes from an Italian Summer - a scrumptious giveaway

When my kitchen was filled with some of my favorite people in the world on Sunday, canning nature's bounty and eating delicious foods, I remember glowing with pride and showing off my bookshelves that had just been organized.  I think that over 50% of my personal library consists of cookbooks, and I decided to pull them off the shelves, dust them and reorganize them like a person who works in a library should!  I was left with "departments", really.  Italian cooking, vegetarian/vegan cooking, desserts and baking, general cooking, and The Girlfriends Shelf (which consists of Nigella Lawson, Ina Garten and Giada DeLaurentiis cookbooks, of course).  I love a good cookbook...something filled with easy, accessible recipes, good stories and even better photography or illustrations.

Sometimes, I'll sit on the sofa and read through an entire cookbook, showing Em every other page and feasting on the possibility.  The only cookbook that has moved me like that this year is Recipes from an Italian Summer by the editors at Phaidon Press heavily influence by the collection of recipes available in The Silver Spoon.  Because I interact with the publishing industry on a daily basis, I'm not naive to the fact that Phaidon is an internationally renowned publisher of books about and containing fine arts.  I knew that the recipes in this book might be obvious, to a degree, but I was excited most about the spirit of the book.  The way it made me FEEL.  And it made me feel great!  The photography is absolutely superb, weaving a story of delicious fresh food, lush gardens and cool summer breezes.  Recipes in the book come from Sicily, Sardinia, Campania, Tuscany and the mountains of northern Italy.

Because I love this book so much, and because my birthday is just around the corner, I want to share its awesomeness with my readers by offering one copy of Recipes from an Italian Summer a lucky reader!  Beginning today until 11:59pm EST on August 3rd, leave one comment here to enter the giveaway and tell me your favorite cookbook of all time.  If you don't have a favorite, tell me your favorite farmer's market summer fruit or vegetable.  Additionally, you can add an extra entry by becoming a fan of Oh Meaghan on Facebook and then leave an extra comment here letting me know that you did.  Each person can have a maximum of two (2) entries.  I will announce the winner on my birthday, Wednesday August 4th!

If you have any questions, please let me send me an e-mail at oh.meaghan(a)gmail(dot)com.  Good luck!


[Images courtesy PinkBow on Flickr]

The list...it grows!

I know this is all my fault.  In lieu of more sophisticated things like politics or social justice, I have whittled down my blog reading to pretty much three genres: crafting, food and design (ok, and pugs, too) .  So many things can be aggregated into an RSS reader these days, and I can't stop myself from clicking that little orange button no matter where I go.  As a result, I continue to add to the pile of things I want or want to do every day.  My aunt told me once that she didn't need to read some of my back issues of Bon Appetit because she had decided that she had enough recipes already and adding more would just mean they never came to fruition.  I wonder when it'll be appropriate for me to stop collecting links to pretty things to make or buy.  Certainly I'm not ready yet...

Polopolo Small Tissue Box from Yokomono Studio - $25

Kleenex has really done a fabulous job at hiring designers for their boxes over the past year or two.  But if you're interested in a more consistent look, because their designs seem to be seasonal, I am confident that wrapping a small box up in one of these sharp and smart covers (which come in a variety of sizes/colors/patterns) would be absolutely gorgeous.  I'm considering one for my desk at work, actually!

Cucina Multi Dishtowel from Crate & Barrel - $4.95

If you're not already following Angela Liguori's blog, I suggest you add it to your daily (or weekly) reads.  She shares so many wonderful things...from shop updates to design inspiration, travels and stories, and even updates about design friends and their new lines.  The other day she shared that her friend, Susy Pilgrim Waters, an illustrator and designer, has a new line of tea towels at Crate & Barrel.  I am head over heels for this one in particular, but there's a gorgeous green one too!

Zippered Dopp Kit Tutorial from the purl bee - FREE!

Perhaps one of the most irritating parts of travel prep (for me) is packing a cosmetic/bathroom bag.  They are never the right size, the material isn't exactly washable, and the pockets they provide are never especially helpful.  The zipper always breaks, they are often ugly, and they're tapered in all the wrong places.  I was relieved to find this tutorial for a make-your-own dopp kit from the purl bee which has both shape and function, as well as being washable and easily customizable.  Fortunately, I am lucky to know a Bird who can help me pull it all together.

Scoop Earrings by Blue Hour Designs - $25

Copper is absolutely beautiful, incredibly affordable and one of my favorite metals.  Sadly, my skin turns green with any prolonged contact from it!  I'm constantly on the lookout for jewelry that features copper prominently without necessarily having any components that touch my skin, and these caught my eye!  I love the delicate swoop of the copper portion, especially the light texturization, and I know for a fact that the sterling silver earwires won't bother my lobes one bit!

Miniature Abstract Round 10 from ashleyg - $20 (on sale for $10!)

I must admit...I already have one of these!  And two others - I couldn't resist.  Ashley Goldberg, the woman behind these incredible miniature works of art stole my heart when, instead of placing her designs on canvas or paper, she painted them on porcelain and fired them up to turn them into lifetime treasures.  I have a collection of three hanging at my cubicle now - an orange raindrop, the abstract round featured above, and the Professor.  They make me smile every time I look at them.  These would be great in your cubicle, as a small token of appreciation, or even as ornaments (because I never stop thinking about Christmas).

Fancy Bolts - the apron you've always wanted.

My dear sweet friend Nicole...also known as fiercegrrl around these parts...has opened up an Etsy shop dedicated to her crafty awesomeness.  Though she was trained in glass blowing at VCU, Nicole is the kind of crafter I want to be when I grow up.  Not only does she construct the most gorgeous glass pieces I have ever seen, but she screenprints, sews, bakes, cans, gardens and can even renovate old houses.  She is absolutely amazing.  Her energy astounds me, too; were I battling cancer like she is, I doubt I would have the stamina to to do everything she manages to do each day.  She is truly living life the way it should be lived.

In order to support her adorable fabric addiction and to dress the masses in the cutest, one-of-a-kind, vintage-inspired aprons known to mankind, Nicole has opened up an Etsy shop.  Fancy Bolts is currently stocked with four absolutely adorable aprons featuring a combination of vintage and contemporary fabrics, appliqued screenprints made by Nicole herself and other sweet touches like fuzzy ball trims and satin ribbon.  They are an absolute bargain at $40/each.  And there are more on the way!  The aprons are expertly constructed, durable and make you feel like the fanciest cook in all the land.  Em and I each have our own aprons hanging proudly in our kitchen.  Please visit Fancy Bolts and pick up an apron for yourself, for a friend, or even contact Nicole directly to request a custom apron.  She makes them for kids and grownups, in every color and pattern imaginable and is very eager to please.

Yes, you CAN can.

Canning has been called a lot of things over the past few years...slow food, a waste of time, fun for hipsters, exciting, fresh, delicious and incredibly awesome.  My Nanny canned pretty much everything, but she passed away long before I was old enough to learn.  My interest in the domestic arts waned significantly as I grew into teenagehood and for most of my twenties.  Over the past few years, though, the desire to turn farmer's market or pick-your-own loot into preserved delights grew exponentially.

Some folks will say that it doesn't make financial sense to can.  The expense is greater than the yield, and you have to dedicate a significant amount of time to the process.  Small batch canning can be affordable once you acquire all of the necessary supplies, if you're smart about how you source your produce, and you take care to follow the proper instructions.  I started to read tutorials and a few chapters in books about canning but I didn't feel confident enough to start exploring the process on my own.

I feel grateful enough to know a few awesome preservers and decided a few months ago to just ask for help.  I asked Nicole if she'd be interested in teaching a lesson, knowing that she was a brilliant person in general, and especially skilled when it came to food preparation.  In addition to all of her hands-on experience, she recently received her Master Preserver certification through the University of Wisconsin extension service.  We worked out the best times with our busy schedules and then I wrangled some friends together and hosted the canning party Sunday afternoon.

We boiled and peeled, sliced and stuffed the tomatoes into pint jars.  We learned about the different acidity levels, what requires lemon juice, what doesn't, how salt is optional and how to choose the best produce for your canning projects.  We stuffed 11 pint jars with farm fresh tomatoes and screwed the lids on "finger tight".

(That lovely apron I'm wearing was made by my other wonderful friend Nicole who 

will have an Etsy shop set up soon - Fancy Bolts!)

Once the jars were ready for the hot water bath, we learned about how the water works, the different times for different recipes and produce, how to load them into the pot and other important details.  Once they were loaded, we snacked on delicious treats like quick pickled kohlrabi and carrots, salsa verde, onion dip and rustic-not-chunky bean dip for the 40 minutes required to full seal the lids.  

I was worried that I wouldn't understand the process, that my kitchen wasn't big enough, or my three small burner/one large burner stove was inadequate.  Nevertheless, we fit seven people into the kitchen doing a million different things, along with a 33-quart pot and over 20 pints of produce...and we had a spectacular time doing it!  Nicole was patient, informative, and kind.  She managed to guide us through a very detailed process even though we were milling about at times like lost Sim characters.  I think everyone who participated left the workshop feeling like they not only understood canning better but food in general.

Excited. Confident. Invigorated. Curious.  These are all things I wasn't before I set out to coordinate this workshop.  Nicole was an invaluable resource and I hope she continues to bless the DC Metro area with her infinite wisdom and sassy sense of humor.  I am so excited to collect peaches, tomatoes, and all the other delicacies of the season and turn them into enduring jars of deliciousness.  When Autumn hits, I'm going to be climbing trees at Stribling Orchard, whipping up pint after pint of apple butter for friends and loved ones.  The sky is the limit, really.

Make sure you follow Nicole in her new blogging adventures at Gin and Pickles.  She's also working on coordinating a bigger learning opportunity in the near future and I will make sure to keep you posted here at Oh Meaghan with all of the exciting details!  Thank you, Nicole, for the incredible life lesson (and for the Maker's Mark cherries)!

Thanks to Christine, Katherine, Nicole, Julie, and Em for all their enthusiasm and help throughout the day, too!

Yes, you really can can!

Christmas in July...you celebrated, right?

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I am completely in love with Christmas.  So when you think of a house covered in twinkle lights, inflatable Santa and his reindeer in the middle of the lawn and external stereos blasting holiday music so passers-by can get into the spirit...that's pretty much what the inside of my head is like on most days (even outside the Christmas season).  Often, when I'm working on something at home or work, I'll play Christmas music - specifically my "There's No Place Like Home" Pandora station, which you can enjoy by clicking this link!  I watched Home Alone on Saturday, I keep my meager (in the grand scheme of things, it's small) collection of Christmas decorations stored inconveniently in my laundry room and shove more necessary things like coolers and extra-large pots and pans in a storage closet adjacent to our apartment.  All that so when I do laundry on Fridays, I can look up at the rolls of wrapping paper and the fake Christmas tree box and sigh, heavily, knowing that Christmas is only X-number of days away.

That being said, I've never really understood Christmas in July but I'm not stupid enough to foresake an opportunity to celebrate it.  Yesterday I was preoccupied with learning an incredibly fascinating skill and I wasn't able to dress Seamus up in a Santa Suit, cuddle him and watch White Christmas while sipping hot cocoa.  But do not doubt for a second that I thought about it...a lot...and these are some of the sugar plums that have danced themselves onto my wishlist for this year's Christmas festivities.

Lollipop Tree Advent Calendar from Garnet Hill - $78 - available presale for $62!

Fa La La La Felt : 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations - $14.95

Santa's Coming Christmas Necklace by ThatOldBlueHouse2 - $28

Vintage Paper Nut Cups from KattyWhompusVintage - $6

Christmas Felt Squares (10 pack) from Lupin - available again soon, I hope!

Set of 4 Vintage Holly Berry Glasses by kitschcafe - $14

Did you celebrate?

Gaymousness.

[Click the image to view a readable copy of the article]

Last year I was contacted by a freelance writer and asked if I, along with my peers from the Queer Crafter Collective, would be interested in being interviewed for a Curve Magazine article about queer crafts and crafting.  I thought it would be great exposure for our group, and for queer crafters in general, so we compiled answers to the interview questions and sent them on their merry way.  Here we are, about a year later, and the article is finally published!  There are a few errors - they called my shop "Oh Honey" and also said that the QUEER cuff made by my cohort Mandy from Molten Arts was my creation - but otherwise it was a pretty solid article about the state of queer crafting.

As I grow and flex in the microindustry of indie craft, I do have to say that I don't share the same sentiments as my peers (and the journalist behind this piece) about housewife crafters, per se.  I think it does a grave disservice to the entire concept of a woman's right to choose, and it also negates the reality that many women who are also mothers and wives choose this business because it's lucrative and fulfilling.  I think, though, that with the incredible dominance of heterosexuality in the craft scene, it can render folks like myself invisible.  And even in some cases, novelties.

There are opinions on either side, in front of and behind, the concept of visibility in a microindustry like indie craft.  Some would suggest it doesn't matter, others would suggest it plays a HUGE part in the decision-making process of getting involved in the first place.  It is simply easier for [married] heterosexual people to be involved in entrepreneurial and independent businesses; most queers don't have the luxury of having access to our partner's health insurance, for example.  More often that not, heterosexuals are the face of the workforce and heterosexuality is often used in the imagery to define its most lucrative genres (ie. weddings).  This article serves as a testament to the fact that despite the challenges, there is a pretty spectacular group of creative folks trying to climb out of obscurity and into the rainbowy, glittery limelight.