Muffins

As we make our way through the long month that is February, I predictably find myself pouring over cookbooks and spending an insane amount of time reading food blogs. I don’t understand how I lived my life for so long without knowing the joy of food blogs. The pictures! Oh, the pictures. It’s like food porn. These last winter weeks always seem to go the same way for me. I wend my way through dozens of comforting baked goods and literary movies (Jane Austen anyone?) while snuggled under my blankets, occasionally emerging to shake my fist at the snow outside. This morning I made raspberry muffins.

The recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Bread for Breakfast by Beth Hensperber. Obviously it’s one of my favorites because it combines two of the things I love most; bread and breakfast. How can this book do any wrong? Well, it can’t. I have photographic proof. They look a little flat and messy, I know, but that’s only because they are so full of tremendous raspberry goodness that they’re a little weighed down.

Visual Inspiration

I find that there are so many images being thrown at me on a daily basis that it takes something really spectacular and striking to stop me in my tracks. These are a few of the websites I find myself returning to again and again for inspiration, and to remind myself what I think is beautiful and important when it comes to taking pictures.

The Polaroid Kidd
F-Stop
3191
Giacomo Brunelli
PostSecret
The Sartorialist
Smosch

Square America
I could look through this site for hours upon hours. I love old photographs so much. It doesn’t matter if they’re pictures of family members or complete strangers, I can get completely drawn in. I think they tell a story in a way that more recent pictures don’t. And there’s something magical about those small, fuzzy black and white prints.

Insanity

This year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house and had some of my mom’s family over. It was a beautiful day and I consumed a vast amount of food. We baked six pies, mashed 18 potatoes, roasted vegetables, baked biscuits, made vegetarian gravy and many other things. For just six people. As my Aunt Clare said, “We must have been insane.”

A short narrative through pictures

Tour: The Flea Market

After nearly two years of working on Sunday mornings my schedule has changed. What does this mean? Well, aside from the obvious benefit of finally being able to enjoy a relaxed weekend morning (sleeping in, brunch, etc.) I’m now free to explore the weekly flea market!

The flea market takes place at the drive in movie range and it’s HUGE. Of course I don’t really have a lot of market experience to compare it with, but there is so much stuff there that it’s very easy to be overwhelmed. There are many things… many crappy things, but also some really neat stuff. Wander around for long enough and you will find everything from junky toys to (seemingly) brand new laptops. It all depends on which dealers are there at any given week. I always keep an eye out for old cameras. This past week there were a multitude of bicycles!

Check out the funky banana seat on this baby. I also spotted 3, (count ‘em, 3!) tandem bikes. Pretty cool.

Badminton anyone?

Is it an antique comb of torture? A hardware item? A gardening tool? You just never know. Or perhaps you do! If so, please enlighten me.

Vroom vroom.

It’s like a sherbet lamp collection! How cheery.

Aren’t these great? Perfect for flowers.

Ahhh, tiny men! Is that the Indian in the cupboard?

Last week I was lucky enough to spend some time in North Hampton with a friend. Going to NoHo is always a treat for the eyes; unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera with me. It’s nice to escape the small town doldrums for a more exciting and colorful place and it’s great to be provided with a bit of wardrobe inspiration. NoHo is where the funky dressers are at ya’ll. I always leave there not sure if I want to be an earthy bohemian type, or give in completely to my indie hipster inclinations. Ah well, perhaps I will be able to find a balance. In the meantime my wallet is still recovering from this little trip. I made some lovely purchases, such as this scarf.

I fell in love with these cards but almost didn’t get them because I was trying to be good with money…. but come on, they are too great. Having lovely cards or stationary always inspires me to actually keep in touch with friends through old fashioned snail mail.

This purse is awesome, okay? Awesome. It has hedgehogs on it! Hedgehogs! I’m in love with it.

Taste! Organic

Yesterday I went to Taste! Organic. It takes place at someone’s beautifully picturesque home and this is the third time I’ve gone, although the first time I have not gone to stilt. The vegetables are stunning and lots of homemade goods are up for sale…. but the real reason I love to go there is the food. Seriously, their fingerling potatoes with sea salt and organic ketchup are to die for. Thoughts of the apple crisp with FRESH whipped cream they have there keep me sane through the long winter months. This food is drool worthy - dream worthy even. Alas, I arrived too late this year to partake of the heavenly potatoes, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to buy some for myself at the Farmer’s Market next week. And I did at least snag some of the aforementioned apple crisp. I forgot to take a picture of it, but I did snap some pictures of other things. Such as these pumpkins.

Regular pumpkins… or magical carriage pumpkins? Hmmm.

Nifty little yellow tomatoes and black soybeans.

A stunning felt creation.

While I was at Taste! my mom was busy at home, canning peaches. So, so pretty.