The Inspired - I Think You Need A Hug

"I Think You Need A Hug"

Office man, he’s pretty great.

He so committed, he’s never late.

Loves his job, though he’s sometimes blurry

As he confronts his cube with a touch of fury

At least he’s cool, not some tricky fool

Dreams of Porsches and drinks by a deep blue pool

Listens to tunes to make anyone swoon

Eats his lunch with a silver spoon

Look at line 4, right there above

Ain’t no joke, there’s really no love

Please throw our office man a bone

Simply get off his back and leave him alone.

The poem above represents most everyone who endures cube life. Isn't there more?

Mom's Apple Pie

I love Apple Pie. And I love the fall. Thankfully, they both come at the same time. Now that the apple harvest is happening, I've been getting some great varieties at the farmers market. If you love apple pie, but have never endeavored to make it. It's a snap and I recommend trying it. Plus, it's a great thing to have on hand when the occasional autumn guest shows up! I love a friendly stop by especially once the holidays begin!

I always use Granny Smith apples. They are large and firm and tart. But if like a variety that is equally as firm, you can use those instead.

Ingredients (Pie Filling):

6-8 Large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter

Directions (Pie Filling):

Put sliced apples in a large bowl and allow to macerate in the sugar cinnamon combination for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pie crust.

Ingredients (Pie Crust):

2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks cold, cubed butter
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 Cup water (roughly)

Directions (Pie Crust and Pie Completion):

Pre-heat oven to 350
Sift flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl
Add the cold cubed butter and mix using your hands until the butter is combined with the flour mixture, resembling oatmeal
Add the water slowly, you may use less than the entire half cup. This is to form the dough.
Create a ball from the dough, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and begin to roll into two round pie shaped forms...one for the bottom of the pie and one for the top.
Lay the first one in the bottom of the pie plate, add the apples, and dot the apples with the two tables spoons of butter.
Cover the pie filling with the second crust.
Seal the pie crust with your fork. (If you're my mom, you do really fancy stuff with the crust that seems to defy nature)
Poke holes in the crust for the steam to release (or if you want to be fancy, cut little shapes with tiny cookie cutters as I did here).
Place pie on a cookie sheet (in case of spill over)
Bake pie at 350 for 1 hour.
Serve hot or room temperature preferable with ice cream. ;)

My cute neighborhood. Someone got festive in the community garden.

Welcome to the Freak Show

So I really dig making stuff. And when I came up with the idea to do a Halloween Party this year I must say I was a tiny bit influenced by last years reading of Geek Love in developing the invitation. And now this year, American Horror Story is doing "Freak Show," I felt it only appropriate to celebrate with the same.

Instead of sending flat cards I did a three dimensional invite and thought to hand them out when I saw folks! It was a blast to make and the husband really enjoyed getting in on the engineering of it. Our kitchen table was laden with tiny legs and arms to create the conjoined twins.

I wrote a special poem for the invitation itself.

Meet Arthur and Anslemo, The Siamese Twins

You'll shriek, you'll gasp, you'll wheeze and spin.

Come one, Come all for only one night.

A carnival of Freaks, my what a sight.

The Three Legged Man, The Bearded Lady

Everyone there, just a tad shady!

Please Join Gwen and Bulent

The Ringmasters, Under the Big Top

When: Saturday October 25th

What Time: 7:30 to Midnight

Where: Our House

Attire: Dress as Your favorite Freak or

 Side Show Pass Around

Other: Bring some food or drink to share.

PLEASE RESPOND by the 20th of October.

And then the entire little ditty:

Sorry about this one. I wish it was more in focus.

The Cottage Diaries

Molly writes sweetly, her voice and style are down to earth and kind and her photographs are marvelous and her recipes are masterpieces! The Cottage Diaries is a place you can gain tons of inspiration and get all but lost in the images and the happiness there! The photos here are for Lavender Macarons with Honey Earl Grey Buttercream. The cookies themselves are her specialty. Simply delightful. I've included a few of her pics. When I make them, (if I am successful) I'll include my own photos as well.

Hazel Village

This past weekend was my niece's first birthday. Riley turned 1 and fun was had all. I wrote her a little poem so she won't forget us, living all the way out here in California. Kinda cute. It expresses how I feel, anyway. And, I don't want her not to know who we are. Uncle Boo and Auntie Wendi.

Riley, not a little baby anymore

Ten tiny toes and fingers still, like before

Now they are one and so is she

As Riley ages more and more pretty will be

I can’t wait to see how her life will unfold

So many adventures; stories better than gold.

My best advice to you my dear, sweet niece

Please love yourself, each special little piece

You, my Riley Quinn, are the only one

So unique, so priceless and so much fun

Remember, that although Uncle Boo and I are far away

You are so close to our hearts and we will never stray.

When you turn six I’m sure you’ll tell a joke and be funny

Happy 1^st Birthday Sweet Pea! Enjoy this Juliette Bunny!

I was shopping for my sweet girl's birthday present. I had several stipulations though (not that I am high maintenance or anything). I wanted the gift to be a soft friend. I wanted it to be very personalized and I wanted something that would be lasting. 

I found a treat so unique; so magical, that I was simply prepared to pay any amount of money! And enter Hazel Village. Look at this...it makes me scream and clap and dance with joy! This little Story, "Juliette's Painted Trunk" is the reason I chose Juliette for Riley. (For copyright purposes, I have only included a wee bit of the story pictures). Click here to see this and other stories from the imagination of  Jane Van Cleef. You will be utterly enchanted.

The Inspired - A Girl Walked Into a Bar

The Inspired

So, a girl walked into a bar...

This Girl Walks Into a Bar

She wasn't sick until she walked in.

She immediately looked pale and felt thin.

Her health, rapidly declining, made her wonder

It was a little thing to take notice of, to ponder.

"Why did I walk into this bar after all?"

She held on to the greasy tables, trying not to fall.

If she hadn't walked into that place would she healthy be?

What she remembered is how she loves to be free.

But this is a shackle, this illness, the spackle

that it might take to mend before she can bend

the sickness in her chest 

you know, the one in her breast

Her head she inclined and simply sipped 

And waited, patiently, before she was stripped.
Maybe, she thought, I should quit drinking.
This ship, she looked around, is it sinking?

It's Been A Year

She died. It was an immeasurably terrifying day for some reason; perhaps because it had elements of the surreal coupled with the supernatural. It was a day that was spent more as an out of body experience rather than a day of sorrow and loss. As the days went on and I would think of her, I cried, of course, but not for the letting go of her; more for my own guilt and distance from her. She left our dimension at the age of 93, a mere month before her 94th birthday. Everyone said, “She had a good run.” And she did, I admit. But how is her “good run” comforting to her, to me, to the fear we hold of the unknown? 

Growing up, I remember looking upon grandma in awe. She was the fanciest lady I had ever seen at five years old. Except as I grew she continued to be the most savvy woman I had ever seen. In my little girl sensibilities, it seemed she was the only person in the world like her. When I was a pre-teen I realized I was right. She was always fashion forward, clever, and her creativity was paramount to those artists of her generation, perhaps going even beyond. She was an innovator; a pioneer. What she lacked in some realms she more than made up with fashion, knowledge, card games, art and heritage.

So today, one year gone from losing this extraordinary woman, I raise a glass to her with the wish that she is happy and fulfilled wherever she is. שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לְךָ to you Granny. 

Visiting Friends

Here are a few blogs that I highly recommend visiting. I enjoy them anyhow...
Perhaps you will too. They always have:

• A fresh perspective
• Pretty pictures
• Clever ideas
• Good Vibes (which you know I like to proliferate)!

Also, they are portals to dream worlds. It's some good old fashioned escapism!

Hooked on Houses is on my Blogroll because I. LOVE. IT.  Julia's niche, all about awesome realestate, is remarkable. I love to go there and eat my heart out.

Bri Emery is the Founder/Director at Design Love Fest. It's a crisp clean blog and she is so charming. You can't help but become enraptured by her and her view.

Creatively Driven is rad. Loretta is real and wonderful. Down to earth and seems like a person you could have coffee with, during which meeting you'd likely learn all about the world.

Bekuh B. has a simple yet pretty blog full of daily inspiration and creative insight.

Weddings Here at P & P

I have a wedding blog that I used to be very active on. I designed folks weddings and thus had a little side business going. I even made shoes for some of my brides (including myself) hence the name La Bottine Couture ("Bottine" means a lady's boot in French). Somewhere along the line I grew disenchanted with the whole thing and sort of threw my chips in. The thing is, though, I still love the pretty of a wedding. The love involved and the care taken in creating the most magical party of any couple's lives still get's me going. I love the dresses, the flowers and the clever details. I have decided, since I have let La Bottine Couture fall by the wayside, I should still employ my loves of weddings, on occasion, right here on Poppies & Paperbacks.

As you might've seen from an earlier post, I love dresses. As I was growing up, my mother used to exclaim, "You are all girl!" I'm pretty sure she meant I was girly and high maintenance. I don't think I'm high maintanance. I just like frills, and lace and ruffles and ribbons and bows and taffetta and organza and....

But I can roll around in the mud with the best of 'em too.

Nevertheless here you go. More fancy dresses of the Bridal variety.

Does anyone know the maker and style number for the image above?

Source

Haley Paige Style 6201

Source

These are called "Wendi" and I made them.

La Bottine Couture

Sun and Soil

A friend told me recently, "You have got to try this new place."
So, Lori picked me up one day for lunch and we went over to Sun and Soil; a little haven of good for you, yummyness. They serve organic, made-from-home, tasting smoothies and juices that are truly delicious and healthful. Plus, drinking there is like visiting an old friend in their well appointed living room. It is bright, airy and clean. It's a progressive spin on the smoothie/organic culture. So refreshing. I do have one tiny criticism, however. Bring a load of cash. Each juice is roughly $9.00 and you have to pay a $2.00 refundable fee for the bottle. $11.00 for a juice is more than a bit dear! The smoothies are more affordable at around $7.00 for a 16 oz. selection. Nevertheless, taking care of our bodies seems worth the splurge.

Lori!

Kids Stuff

I have lots of friends with littles. And I have some friends with new littles on the way. I even have friends with Grand-littles. And especially, I have a niece who will be turning one on October 3rd (that will be it's own post) and a little nephew, too!

Here are some precious things from Etsy that I really admire for the wee ones.

1. Pixie Hat
2. A Tiny Romper
3. Polka Dotted Leggings
4. Majorly Awesome Soft Friend
5. Bunny Dish
6. Critter Pillows

Anthropologie Presents

I have a really nice friend named Carrie who gifted me this top. It's gorgeous with star bursts of color on it as you can see. It's something I never would've bought for myself and what a shame because I would've missed out on this beautiful piece. Its comfortable and easy to wear with a skirt or jeans. It's from Anthropologie though, so you know it probably wasn't affordable. That is why I call it a "piece."
I have recently submitted this exact photo to be used as an example of a normal, everyday person wearing their clothes. Cross your fingers it gets published on the site. That'd be some pretty cool exposure for P & P! Guys, go shopping!

My Talented Peeps

My friend Joan has always been a fount of knowledge and good advice. What's great about her is that she is even keeled. Because of that even keel, sometimes she doesn't self promote and therefore you find out through various sources that she is even more awesome than you already thought she was. Not only does she give good advice, or cook a mean soup, or keep herself fit by walking a 12 minute mile, but she is as well a clutter destroyer, a frugal shopping maven and a crafty, clever woman of the Martha Stewart ilk.

I received one of these in the mail and was shocked. Embellished with a tiny surged edge and themed, they are of meticulous craftsmanship. Cloth post cards!

She has an older friend with whom she goes on little day trips and to notify her friened of the trip without giving away the goodies, she will send a spooky themed card. Then she picks up her friend and they go on a cemetery tour. So wicked! You want to be Joan's friend too, huh?