The Vampire Pumpkins

Image from Future Girl Craft


These fanged mini pumpkins, made by Alice of Future Girl Craft are easily my favorite Halloween craft this year. WAY more so than that damn AT-AT dog costume, which I'm probably just resentful of because I also know a Italian Greyhound that dressed up as something from Star Wars (but did not achieve internet fame!)

She followed a Martha tutorial to make the pumpkins, but I think her gourd choices (and that slanty mouth!) really set hers apart.

Alice gives an in depth analysis of the diy process on her blog.

How cute would it be to put these teeth in a large pumpkin as well - big eyes, little mouth style.

What type of pumpkin did you carve this year?

Ansel Adams' Los Angeles

Say the name "Ansel Adams" and the first word that comes to mind is usually not "Los Angeles". That's why I was so thrilled to come across these "Ansel Adams' Lost Los Angeles Found", which were chronicled by Flickr user Gerard Van der Leun in a set.

Here are a few of my favorites - this is Los Angeles in the 1930's and 40's.



















All photos found here.



You can find more photos, plus info on how they were discover, over at the flickr set.

CA Adventures: Camping in Big Bear

One of my favorite things about Southern California is you can go from the beach to the mountains in two hours. FLAT! That's pretty amazing to me.

Tom, Max and I went camping in Big Bear Lake back in September. It took us two hours to go from sea level (we live five blocks from the beach) to 8,000 feet in the air in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Ever since this visit, camping has obsessed a large portion of my brain. I'm constantly googling for nearby campsites, comparing reviews of gear and hiking trails; every time I visit a big box store I spend a significant portion of time in the "camping & outdoors" section, shopping in my head; plus, I'm always converting recipes we make at home to camp-friendly fair ("oh, we could just marinate this chicken on the way up and throw it on the grill when we get there!")

Here's a photo journal of our time in Big Bear, staying at the Hanna Flat campground.





you can just ignore that GIANT bottle of SKYY vodka in our messy tent. WHAT! we were camping!


pro tip: bring along fritos for your frito pie, because they also double as awesome kindling!




hiking the trail from hanna flat to the lake - this is a burn out area


Max was understandably not a happy hiker (on this NINE MILE TRAIL, wtf?), and Tom ended up carrying him like a papoose in a sling for half the journey










Now, I'm done editing this post and I can get back to googling "best camping site in southern california" for the twentieth time.

PS - if you have a favorite camping spot down here, let me know in the comments! Or even CA in general.

New from Pommes Frites: Amber Container Candles

Eek! New product from Pommes Frites that I'm really jazzed about! These beautiful amber candles are filled with 100%, eco-friendly (and domestically grown!) soy wax and super yummy fragrances. I've got three scents up in my shop right now, with more to come.



apple picking


vanilla hazelnut


laundry day


packaging for candles


Soy wax candles are great because they burn clean and long and are better for the environment and people with allergies. All the fragrances I use are distilled from essentials oils and are strong without being overbearing. Plus, the amber glass is beautiful when lit, and when not lit, it resembles an old apothecary jar.

Candles are $15, full options here.

Crafty Bastards RECAP - aka, when it rains, it pours

(advertising my "goin' back to cali sale" during the last 30 minutes)
photo credit: Brightest Young Things

I am SO LOVING the photos the folks at Brightest Young Things snapped at Crafty Bastards last weekend in DC. It was an incredible show. The day started off very ominously; the weatherman predicted 30% chance of light showers, but that ended up being pouring rain and gusting winds ALL DAY LONG. My table cloth literally never dried. I've done shows in intense heat, but never rain. Everything was wet, and at a certain point, I just gave in.

(hi!! new candles!!)
photo credit: Brightest Young Things

DC came out in full force, I got to meet some awesome folks, my parents helped me man the booth (there is nothing more adorable than a proud parent explaining your products to someone!!), and despite the rain, it ended up being one of the best shows I've ever done. Can't beat that!!

I definitely want to come back next year.

PS - I spared you the "here is a million pictures of my booth display" post because frankly, I didn't take any pictures! But it was really fun to create an entire display using items my parents had - wine crates, clementine boxes, old suitcases. It reminded me of the early days of Pommes Frites, in fact.