Happiness Files 2

Not feeling well and depressed that I'm lesson planning on a Saturday night instead of being somewhere dance-y calls for a quick trip to the happiness files. Here are a few things that make my feet tickle (that's a good thing):
Inside outside outside inside.
Flowers by Emerson Made
Free Mustache Rides! Free!

Have a Happy Weekend...hopefully somewhere dance-y.

Love,
Jes

Creepy Beautiful

This is what all of those fashion beards will look like come spring (coming soon according to Phil). By chipmunk cheeks.

From the Happy Vault

I started a folder on my desktop this summer that I called "happiness". While it was, at the time, merely for survival, it has become a great source of, well, happiness for me when I look back at the things I've collected. Here are a few...
Confetti from confetti system
Felt and Embroidered Flower Wreath
I swear I'm going to paint this on an unsuspecting wall.

Happy Tuesday.
Love,
Jes

I Love a Holiday!

Let's forget that Valentine's Day is sorta made up and love it anyway. It could be much worse. We could have grave sweeping day, like they do in China, or Sports Day, like in Japan. Instead, we get a holiday that involves candy, flowers, lace and the color red. What could be better?

Like most holidays, I've always gotten in a bit over my head when it comes to Valentine's Day....like the year when I folded 365 origami stars for Dan and inside each one of them I had written something I loved about him. Man did my fingers hurt.

Or in second grade when Mrs. Fabry offered up a contest (you know how I feel about contests) for the best Valentine in the class and I knew right then and there that I had to win. And I did. The winning entry was a 3 dimensional Valentine's Day sculpture in the round (of sorts). I turned a big square box upside down, painted it green with contrasting dark green blades of grass and some tiny wildflowers here and there. I took popsicle sticks and built a tiny clothes line while sitting outside and staring at my neighbor's clothesline. It was a replica. I then cut out and sewed 27 tiny garments and painted a name of each of my classmates on each of the garments. But the best part was courtesy of Janet, my mom, who never fails. She went out and found tiny clothespins that were to scale. TO SCALE! AAA! And the kicker....painted on one side...in big bold red letters..."SENDING YOU A LINE FOR VALENTINE'S DAY." I think that may have been my mom's idea too. I was so proud that day. I won a green stuffed frog wearing a yellow rain coat and hat.

I made some vulgar valentine's in fashion school that I can't describe here and "Jesus loves you and so do I" cards when I was at Rutgers. It doubles for Dan since Valentine's Day is his birthday. For years I painted him a picture of something he loves like a big pop art bottle of ketchup. I've built him a Mexican love diorama, a pop up book and a cupcake tower with heart toppers adorned with his face. And let's not forget the year that I turned his shore house into France with French decorations, made french food and wore a french outfit with beret. I just love every second of it.

I'm not so sure if I could ever hate a holiday. I guess it's an opportunity for me to let my flag fly.

Happy February (Rabbit Rabbit)
Love
Jes

Saddle Up The Hobby Horse

There's a certain kind of majesty in escapism. And while some experts, some books and some Dr. Oz-advised individuals may tell you to face your own reality head on, I've decided that reality is, well, never really was my life technique. And the latest hobby thrown atop the growing pile is bread baking. The smell of baking yeast is second only to the crunch of the magnificent crust. Bread baking requires a certain amount of time, patience and love..I naturally have but one of these items listed...but there are days when all three seem to appear and hours of kneading ensue. I'm serving Martha's chicken club salad with these two loaves of freshly made white bread laced with fresh PA honey from Terrain. Here's a beautiful olive roll recipe, also from Martha, that I really love. Try it...especially if you need a little bit of escapism yourself.

OLIVE ROLLS
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for parchment, bowl, and plastic wrap
1/4 ounce active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, (105 degrees to 110 degrees)
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush parchment with oil; set aside. Oil a large bowl; set aside. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir until dissolved.
Put 3 cups flour and the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add yeast mixture and oil; mix on medium speed until a soft dough forms, adding more flour if needed. Add olives and red pepper flakes; mix until fully combined, about 15 minutes.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and olives are set firmly in the dough, about 15 minutes. Transfer to oiled bowl. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; gently flatten. Using a butter knife, cut dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a cylinder, and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake rolls until tops are crisp and dark brown, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Jour de Neige! Snow Day!

Me and Dan are both enjoying a snow day, our second so dar this season. The section of Philadelphia where I teach got nearly 17.5" of snow yesterday and last night, so it was probably a pretty good call. Of course we're sitting here doing work anyway....clicking away at our laptops, attacking the endless piles that never seem to shrink. The house also needs cleaning and Pete needs a bath after an anonymous person that wasn't Jes accidentally spilled pancake syrup on his head.

I'm trying to get all of this done early so I can work on my etsy shop. After selling a few mini embroidered pillows in the last few weeks, I'm hooked again and I'm working on inventory that I'll put up in the summer as well as a gift for Jane's mystery baby that is being born as I write this.

Snowed in. How romantic.

Love
Jes

Kitchen Reno OR How Many Times Will We Be Spotted at the Legacy Diner in February?

We ordered our kitchen cabinets this weekend and in three short weeks, we'll begin the renovation. My mother reminds me that most people never get to tear out and rebuild their kitchen so I need to really let myself be Bobby Trendy luxurious about it. I guess. These are our cabinets, although two of our kitchens could probably fit into this one with elbow room.

The paint color is a bit more grey than it appears here. It's called hazel. It reminded me first of the focal wall at the Pop Shop and then really of my own dining room. What can I say....I know what I like.

My favorite part is the backsplash, which is this style, but a bit lighter than shown here. I had to put up my dukes for this one...it was so worth it.

Care to join us next month at the Legacy?

Love,
Jes