Pucketty

Recent Wedding Shoes!

2011-02-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been way too long since my last post so here are a recent custom order for a bride that she was kind enough to send me pictures of her big day:

Craftiness for little ones!

2010-07-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of babies that need gifts so I made these little onesies for them:

It was super fun and easy - I bought the 4 pack of organic onesies on Amazon and came up with some designs I liked, then used extra fabric to make them. Here's the detail for the back (the coon still needs one):

Can't wait to make more!

Shoes: Getting ready for fall

2010-07-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

I really like the stacked heels that have been coming out recently and I think these would be great for the rest of summer and as we transition into fall! Here are two pairs I would love to add to my closet (both at Zappos - here and here).

Shoes I Like

2010-07-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

I just found this designer that has an amazing collection for brides - many are too high for me, but lovely styles (they make me think of old school Hollywood):

Check out them all here!

Etsy Craft Party - the Shoes!

2010-07-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

When I went to the Etsy craft party on June 18th, I was asked by Vanessa (one of the organizers and a very sweet person) to do a demo:

Here I am working on a pair and showing the party-goers how Oxford Is Heaven does it.

The finished product! PPS gave me these shoes and they were perfect for doing a demo! I listed them in my shop after the party and now they are the first pair that I have sold to Scotland! How cool is that!

And if you'd like to create your own pair, here is my list of supplies that I gave out to everyone:

~ DIY Marie Antoinette Shoes Material List~
By Oxford is Heaven
www.etsy.com/shop/OxfordHeaven

- One pair of vintage shoes in your size – old bridesmaid’s shoes work amazing!
- Ribbon in coordinating colors – I like to have 3 widths to work with, 1/8 inch, 5/8 inch and 1+ inch wide (can be all the same color or 3 different colors).
- Rhinestone and/or pearl stickers – separate, self-adhesive kind
- Vintage clip-on earrings or buttons – thrift store finds!
- Millinery flowers
- Feathers
- Fabric paint and brushes – I use the kind meant for making t-shirts
- Needle and thread (for sewing ribbon)
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks – you can get a small one at any craft store

Good sources:
- High quality ribbon at good prices: www.theribbonretreat.com
- All kinds of supplies: www.mjtrim.com
- And my favorite: www.etsy.com! (Tons of good stuff under Supplies!)

Fav'd on the Etsy Blog!

2010-06-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

A maker of hats is interviewed on the Etsy blog and she says my store is one of her favs!

Read about it here.

Shoes of Summer

2010-06-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Summer is for cute shoes (without worrying if you are going to step in a snow bank). I want these 2 cute pairs:

(Top pair - from Schu who needs to start selling in the US!)

(Bottom pair - from B Mahowasky, these are so comfortable!)

Etsy Craft Party!

2010-06-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

Going to this tonight! Yay!

Shoes of the Day #2

2010-05-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Lovely minty shoes by Hey Lady and an aqua necklace with vintage accents from LittleSuze.

Shoes of the Day!

2010-04-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new ideas for my shoes and surfing around for shoe goodness. Here is a pair I really like:

Can be bought here at ModCloth

I'd wear them with Sohomode's yellow circle skirt for a lovely explosion of spring color:

Buy the skirt here

Pink Wedding!

2010-04-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

One of my pairs of shoes is going to a bride who is wearing pink for her wedding:

I love the idea of a pale colored dress! And it makes me happy that my shoes are going to be a part of her special day.

On the Etsy Blog again!

2010-04-06T13:28:00.001-07:00

My gold and vintage pumps here: Etsy Blog.

Hurray! They were snapped up today too.

More Spring Style!

2010-04-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Nautical Stripe Lucky Diamonds Dress
Sailor Mini
PREPPY Bright Yellow WICKER Purse
Wayfarer Sunglasses
Girly Girl Gorgeous Liberty of London Vintage Silk Scarf
Salmon Woven Leather Flats
Vintage Cobbie White Woven Flats
Number10 Cylinder Vase in Exeter Links Kelly
Estate Earrings, Petites, Tanzanite
Ugly Betty
circle skirt
ethereal innocence - wire flower crown

Etsy
Buy Handmade
OxfordHeaven

2010-04-05T09:56:00.001-07:00

Spring Trends! by oxfordheaven featuring Liberty of London dresses

Items in this set:
Liberty of London for Target® Petites Ruffle Halter Dress - Sixty..., $30
Matalan - Nautical belted lantern skirt, 16 GBP
Ciao Bella Round Toe Flats, $79
Nordstrom ‘Pop’ Wicker Satchel | BagWhiz.com – The Bag Blog about...
Original Wayfarer RB2140 Sunglasses | Official Site, $145

Fun Times in the Shop

2010-03-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

It's been quite busy recently for Oxford Is Heaven.

I was featured again on the front page of Etsy earlier this week and did an interview for Designers4Design.

Here are some of the shoes I've been working on. Four of these pairs are custom orders!

I've also been using my new light which means I can take a picture like this even at night:

Good times!

My Shoes in the MALL?!?

2010-03-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

This store in a mall in NY wants to carry my shoes! Pretty crazy!

I'm so excited!

2010-03-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

This is on its way to me!

Which is very exciting since I won't have to wait for natural light to photograph my projects anymore!

Also, I'm in love with these shoes by Eidia Lush and her whole site concept. I think I've found what I want to be when I grow up!

OxfordHeaven shoes on the Etsy blog!

2010-03-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

RKP's shoes were featured on The Storque!! - Etsy's handmade blog - in a posting called "Below the Belt."

Here's a quick screenshot (click to enlarge) of the shoes in the original post, along with some other great finds from Etsy sellers. Although that particular pair of shoes is now sold, there are still a few pairs in the shop, so take a look.

If Spring feels far away to you (it certainly does to me - right now it is snowing in the South!!), then shoes in fresh, pale colors might be just the thing.

travels

2010-02-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

An especially warm weekend made for a wonderful mini-getaway in Charleston & Sullivan's Island. We enjoyed great eats at Freshberry and Cafe Metto and window-shopping on King Street. A great way for NIS & I to celebrate three years of being "us."

Favorite Craft Vendors

2010-02-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

Creating fun crafts requires finding lots of good supplies.

I love thrift stores - so they are one of my primary methods of finding good shoes for projects and vintage elements like earrings (clip-ons are perfect for adding to shoes).

My favorites near my house are:

Goodwill on 355 (they often have really nice shoes)

Value Village in College Park (huge selection, tons and tons of stuff which is different every day)

And of course, the best online thrift store ever - eBay (where I go to get something specific)

I also really like finding yard sales or rummage sales (the Methodist church on campus has one twice a year that I've gotten some really great stuff at, like a box of vintage ribbon for $0.50!).

So far as general crafts go, there are a few good places to get new supplies:

Michaels

JoAnn Fabrics (great for general sewing supplies)

I also have used a couple of shop on Etsy to buy supplies - I like supporting my fellow shop owners and I've found some very specific and fun things I can use:

ChristopherPines (vintage millinery goods like ribbons, leaves and velvet flowers)

MaryNotMartha (more millinery, especially really lovely flowers)

GD Supplies (feathers and supplies for hair creations)

Beads N Bits (she hand-makes the most amazing velvet flowers)

Merelle (a huge selection of vintage jewelry at inexpensive prices)

Part of the fun for me is researching how to make a pair of really pretty shoes for someone. I love scouting around and picking up different things to create a specific look. I'm off now to keep working on getting supplies for 5 custom orders!

books! books! books!

2010-02-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

photo credit: brewbooks via Flickr

ABE Books is one of my favorite places to find used, rare, out-of-print books that I really, really need. Like Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons. Or the wonderful Seamus Heaney.

One of the things that sets ABE apart from other websites like Alibris or Barnes&Noble is that rare book professionals use it as a way to keep tabs on current market prices. This means that the used books are well described and (fairly) well cataloged with their condition clearly presented and, if you're willing to pay, you can find unique items...like a signed copy of a childhood favorite for someone special, perhaps? (A first edition of CS Lewis' Wardrobe just sold for over $8,000).

They also offer guides to collecting books, so you won't get tricked and all of their books come from independent booksellers, so you get the satisfaction of supporting them as well...all of this clearly makes ABE the site for sensible readers of used books.

If I had some extra money right now, I'd snatch up Volume 1 of O.B. Miller's My Bookhouse.

A Poem

2010-01-28T06:43:00.000-08:00

So I didn't know this when I set up my shop, but there is a poem that contains the line "Oxford is Heaven" and I like it a lot, so here it is:

But, in a word to say how I like thee, 
For place, for grace, and for sweet company, 
Oxford is Heaven, if heaven on earth there be. 
John Davies (1565-1618)

Exciting Times for Oxford is Heaven!

2010-01-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

So a few days ago one of my pairs of shoes was featured on the front page of Etsy!

This was pretty exciting for me and something I've been hoping for while would happen. Etsy has been an amazing way of selling fun crafty items and I really like using it.

Here again is my shop (with tons of new stuff!):
http://www.etsy.com/shop/OxfordHeaven

Also, a lot of nice people have blogged about my shop! Here is a selection:
Molly & Mary - a fellow estyian and blogger who talks about "books, artworks, women, and places that inspire me."
Try Handmade - a group of bloggers that encourage people to get away from big stores and shop little!
Wuthering Iris - a blogger who hearts all my favorite stores.

I've also added myself to Project Wedding. My plan is to try to market my shoes as the perfect custom wedding idea for either the bride or the whole wedding party. It gives the bride the chance to have the a pair of shoes that go perfect for her dress and the bridesmaids to have matching shoes, but slightly different if they want.

In fact, if there are any readers from my home church, I'd love to do shoes for your wedding at a discounted rate to get the word out locally! Just contact me for more info.

quiet, but busy

2009-12-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Both RKP and I are busy right now, getting through final papers, presentations and exams. Not much time for crafting (even stress-crafting), but I am trying to stay on top of my holiday shopping.

Here are a few suggestions:
Burt's Bees! organic! local! (well, at least for me)...their products are lovely and work great.

This penguin filled with delicious Grade A maple syrup comes from Williams Sonoma and would make a sweet little hostess gift.

Or how about some scattering snow from Anthropologie? You know, for those holiday displays in the window...or, if you live in the South like me, beneath the palmetto trees in your backyard?

Or, if students you know feel tired of writing papers, how about a multiple-choice journal? Like the SAT but with none of the anxiety.

Or maybe luggage tags from J.Crew for the friend who needs to get rid of the nasty ribbon they put on the suitcase about 10 years ago? Or a subscription to American Scholar? Or letterpress bicycle notecards from Etsy seller larkpress?

Room Fun

2009-11-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

Some lovely house some-days...

(All pictures from BonLuxat)

chic tags & stickers

2009-11-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

Since Christmas is just over a month away, how about some cute and chic gift tags?

I like these chic little tags from Seasonal Delight's Etsy shop.

They also have these:

and these(!):

and stickers.

I'm stopping now because I'm supposed to be learning about the RDA standard in cataloging class. But I think these paper goods are awfully nice.

Pressure Cooking [and Cleaning]

2009-11-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

RKP recently noted that, in the midst of pressure from school and work, she likes to turn to "stress crafting." Because honestly, when you have a lot to do, nothing relieves the stress like adding 4 or 5 new projects. I experienced this last weekend when I should have been working on my final portfolio for my graduate program. Instead, I emptied our two closets, re-organized and put things back. I bagged up old clothes for Goodwill. I made a Rum-Apple Baked Custard:

and homemade chili:

and chocolate chip cookies:

and then this weekend I was very productive on the portfolio. "Stress crafting" isn't avoiding work; it's a way of resting your brain. How do you rest your brain?

Real Fast Food...and the Egyptians?

2009-10-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

This pictured recipe by Nigel Slater gets no points for food photography, but it does get points for being delicious. I guess other people probably knew about Nigel long before I got to him, but he's definitly worth a read. I am currently enjoying Real Fast Food which has great ideas about how to get real food on your table in 30 minutes or less. I like his creativity and his flexibility...and his Chili-Chicken with yogurt sauce.

This morning NIS and I went to our local farmer's market, where we had a chocolate brioche and bought fresh pork sausage made from happy pigs and some vegetables. Right now it is cooking in an onion-beer sauce. We plan to eat it with mustard. We also enjoyed seeing a part of the city we had never been to before - we wandered around with our coffees in hand and saw Morning Glories:

and this bizarre...Egyptian...thing...proving once again that I just don't understand the South.

It was just out in the middle of the grass...randomly...

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Nigel Slater's Chili-Chicken (modified)

1 small onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

juice of one lemon

1 or 2 chicken breasts cut up into small pieces

combine all ingredients together and let chicken sit as long as you can...heat a skillet (if you have one of the Le Creuset grill pans, that would be perfect - I make do with my little iron skillet) very hot and throw the chicken in. It shouldn't take more than 3-4 minutes to cook. Serve in whole-wheat pitas with chopped lettuce and yogurt sauce - or alternatively, just eat it plain with the yogurt sauce. It is that good.

Crafting for Relaxation

2009-10-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

So I've pretty much realized that when there is a lot going on in my life (and sometimes the stress level is high), I can measure it by the sheer volume of craftiness that suddenly overtakes me. Then I have to stop myself so I don't get out of control and start planning all sorts of crazy projects.

Guess what I've been up to recently? Well, first there was the cool shirt made by PPS:

(which I think is pretty awesome and soon to be posted in the etsy store)

So I tried my hand at some sewing:

(also coming to the store - I think I like how it turned out?)

Then there is something for the Meeper (Jan, close your eyes):

(I think he was trying to get away)

And as Amms correctly guessed, Marie Antoinette is in town:

(yummy shoes, anyone?)

Which brings me my special winter break project that I'm really excited about. Let's just say it relates to the pink shoes, but involves this:

(they look like easter eggs??)

I could stop at any time...

Etsy Friends and Hints

2009-09-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

I think that it is very cool that there are a couple other friends on etsy (and hopefully more soon!).

onewordprints makes fun journals and collages (with the help of her goldfish).

mrsjennyjames is one of my favorite photographers and she has lovely prints in her store!

And here is a little hint for my winter break project! This picture comes from a movie involving delicious shoes - anyone know what it is?

what we've been eating.

2009-09-30T04:51:00.000-07:00

Sweet potato pie & mushroom-red onion-chicken tart

Acorn squash & butternut squash ready for their water baths

Sauteed with garlic, onion, olive oil & basil and served over whole wheat pasta & mozzarella

Unfortunately, the Sweet Potato Pie had too much vegetable flavor. One slice was nice for novelty, but we didn't devour it like we would a pumpkin pie. I think that makes me give up on sweet potatoes; I've tried them multiple ways now and they never seem to succeed. Squash, on the other hand, has been really tasty - especially with a lot of garlic. Yesterday the New York Times had this tasty article about seasonal cooking, with recipes for fig tart with onions, rosemary & stilton, ratatouille & sausage potpie, and tomato eclairs with ricotta & basil filling. I think I need to get some figs?

Fall Weddings and Upcoming Attractions

2009-09-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Another wedding! Bride Sara asked me to do shoes for her and then decided that she wanted them for her bridesmaids as well. She had purchased jewelry already and so I went with the theme of black/silver/red roses to create the girls shoes.

Detail on one of the shoes. It was really fun because I did them all similar, but also different so they could each have their individualized pair. (How fun is customizing?!)

I bought some small pieces of vintage jewelry at the thrift store to incorporate into the shoes (like a pair of drop ebony earnings on the backs of this pair).

Doing these shoes involves my love of thrift stores, etsy, ebay and craft supplies. Even a small piece of ribbon can finish off a pair - left over from a gift or church rummage sale (where I bought a whole box of stuff for $0.50).

The bride's shoes turned out wonderful - vintage lace, a velvet rose and pearls and rhinestones - how decadent is that?

They almost seem like they could be the cake!

PPS and I have been brainstorming a lot recently. This has led to some thrift store purchases, checking out options online and a hopefully a crafting bonanza soon. She has some ideas to add to the store that I think will be really good. A spring line of fun fashion may be in the works! (And I also had a really fun idea of something I want to do over winter break!)

.muffins & foodreads.

2009-09-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

apple whole wheat yogurt goodness. from smitten kitchen (with some variation by me).

here are some good food reads for Sunday night:

City Journal on how there is lots of good food in America - everywhere.

Mark Bittman of Bitten on how to make your own hummus.

Martha Stewart with 33 ideas on what to do with apples.

A great bookstore

2009-09-17T07:26:00.001-07:00

Selexyz Dominicanen
Originally uploaded by rob4xs

This picture doesn't do it justice, but if you jump over to The Coolist, you can read about and see more pictures of this amazing bookstore in Maastricht, Germany.

Field trip?

Roast!

2009-09-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

This was the start of a scrumptious roast stewed with carrots, onions, portabella mushrooms and thyme. I don't like beef very much, but N. loves it so I made this last Saturday. Even I had to admit that it was pretty delicious.

Part of the prompting for this dish came from the fact that it has been just a little bit cooler in the South this week, even though I know our real "Autumn" won't come until November. If you want your own inspiration for fall cooking, check out Nigel Slater's article on autumnal food over at the BBC...the Stilton, Onion and Potato Pie sounds fantastic (to easily convert from the metric system, use this tool).

Wearing Perfume (and on the cheap!)

2009-09-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

I've always been disappointed that perfume never seemed to "work" for me. No matter how nice the smell, about 20 minutes after I put it on I began to smell like a combination of rubbing alcohol and the makeup aisle at CVS. Gross. But I liked the idea of having a signature scent and I decided that there had to be a solution!

I realized that if I spray the fragrance in my hair after I'm done blowdrying but before I do the final styling, it holds the scent and doesn't revert to the gag-inducing alcohol stench upon contact with my skin. Success! And now I have a signature scent (thanks to sweet N), which is Daisy by Marc Jacobs - classy and fresh.

With my new fragrance-freedom, I've discovered that the better department stores (Nordstrom, Macy's, Bloomingdale's) will happily give you sample sizes of all sorts of perfumes, even if you haven't made a purchase. A great way to find a perfume you like - or just to try out some new ones. I've been enjoying Lily Pulitzer's summery scents (Beachy, Sqeeze and Wink).

Lots of Shoes!

2009-09-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

I have been quite busy working on finishing up a bunch of custom orders before taking a little break (now that school has started for the fall).

Here's what I've been busy with:

a pair of bride's shoes for a funky do-it-yourself wedding (she has some great ideas!)

a pair inspired by Anthropologie (my secret plan is to sell my shoes there some day)

classy, inspired by Chanel's recent line

this customer said "go all out". it was really fun (there are even pink feathers!)

Of course, sometimes I really just like to get a pair that's not for someone in particular and just see what happens... especially when the sister sends me some really fun shoes:

I just wish they were my size... but since they're not, you can buy them in my shop! I have some more fun happening in the shop, so I'll be posting again soon!

Book Review: Elizabeth Goudge

2009-09-09T07:07:00.001-07:00

Elizabeth Goudge
Originally uploaded by rbjaneite

Elizabeth Goudge is the perfect author for that specific sort of reading which you do before you go to bed. Her books are Good stories with pleasant endings. They may not challenge you as a reader, but I like to think of them as Comfort Food for the mind. Goudge doesn't enjoy quite the widespread popularity that she once did (perhaps because her books now seem quaint more than anything) but I think she's ready for a revival.

Some of her prominent themes are the enjoyment of nature and beauty, of being tidy and of generally Putting Things Right. We could all use more of that.

I'd recommend starting with The Dean's Watch or The City of Bells. Your library has them. Check them out and see what you think.

Etsy Favorites

2009-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about Etsy is the Favorite feature. Like most of Etsy's options, it's clean and easy to use without making navigate away from your item or getting all crazy with options like some sites do (Amazon, you know who you are).

Consequently, I frequently add to my favorites (you can either add an item or a seller). When I'm working on a project, I'll add a whole bunch of things and then I can look at them all together and delete items I decide I don't want.

So here's an outfit I've put together for fall. I always like it in magazines when they show you an outfit you can do for a certain amount.

This is my cute "under $100 Fall Fashion" from my current favs.

(polka-dot cardigan $10 from teamkrause, vintage plaid mini-dress $35 from tltvintage, corduory clutch $16 from bellevuevintage, leather slouch boots $35 from AnyywhereButHere)

Fun Cards From Etsy!

2009-08-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

photocredit: boygirlparty

RKP recently gifted me these so cute recipe cards from boygirlparty's amazing Etsy shop. Their stuff is quirky, whimsical and reasonable. These would make great hostess or aunt (or sister) gifts.

Recommended?
Yes!

Negative bits
The only negative bit is that the recipe cards (I don't know about the other products) are printed on heavy, glossy cardstock. Although this makes a beautiful image, it also means you can only write with ballpoint pen (other ink smears). As we all know, ballpoint pen is a horrible thing to use because it quickly deteriorates and easily fades. This librarian/archivist says thumbs-down to ballpoint.

Miss Rumphius (inaugural book review!)

2009-08-25T17:32:00.001-07:00

Miss Rumphius - Cooney
Originally uploaded by hmrlibrary

RKP makes beautiful shoes, but the things I tend to make are often more functional (things like bread or book cradles). Part of this is because I'm in graduate school right now and busy studying to be a librarian (RKP is in school too, but she finds a way to make it all happen!)...so even though I can't often make amazing and beautiful crafts, I can tell you about amazing and beautiful books.

And is it possible that there is a more beautiful book than Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney? You probably have read it already, but if not, here's why you should:

The story
Miss Rumphius is a little girl who can't wait to grow up so that she can live by the sea and travel to faraway places. Her grandfather thinks both of these are splendid ideas, but adds that there is a third thing she must do: find a way to make the world more beautiful. This book is the story of how Miss Rumphius does that "third, most difficult thing."

Best quote(s)
(while traveling in the South Seas) "Before she left, the Bapa Raja gave her a mother-of-pearl shell on which he had painted a bird of paradise and the words, 'You will always remain in my heart.' 'You will always remain in mine too,' said Miss Rumphius."

Scary bits
Unless you are afraid of riding camels, this book is not scary.

Wedding Cont.

2009-07-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here are the bridesmaid shoes in progress:

pretty heels:

all lined up and ready to go:

and now for bride:

These were such fun to do! I hope I get to do more weddings!

Shoes for a Wedding!

2009-06-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

I got to do my first wedding party order of shoes and it was so fun!

The bride sent me a list of her specifications and a picture of the bridesmaid dresses.

She wanted gold sandals with ruffles and flowers. I did some sleuthing and found these great shoes on sale as Rack Room shoes:Then I ordered ruffles from fellow etsy seller Dream Spun Kids in lavender and ivory, got rhinestones (I like the self-adhesive kind) and little flowers from Michael's. I also had a vintage bracelet that I thought would be perfect. Here is the assembly of my supplies:

Coming up next... 4 pairs of bridesmaid sandals and the bride's shoes!

Hamantaschen

2009-05-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

My mom really likes the traditional Jewish dessert Hamantaschen that is usually made at Purim (in early spring). I've made it for her a couple times, but for Mother's Day this year I bought a can of the poppy seed filling and used the recipe inside the can and I think it was the best batch I've made so far!

The only thing I did differently was to add extra orange peel and it made the cookie part really moist and tasty. Mom likes the poppy seed filling the best, but you can also put preserves or jam inside the cookies. These make a great tea cookie, just leave enough time for chilling the dough (since that's what takes the longest).

Getting Crafty at Work

2009-05-21T12:45:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you do crafts at work. And you make book cradles.

Fun Shoes

2009-05-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

I think part of the reason that I like making fun shoes is because sometimes I see the ones that are in the little girls section of the shoe store and I don't think it's fair that they don't have them in my size.

For my most recent project, I decided to make some flats... my supply list is:
- Vintage lace and bias tape from a rummage sale at the Methodist church near campus
- Cream velvet rosettes from fellow Etsy seller Screa mingMonkeys
- Little pearls from Michael's
- Flats from Target
- My trusty low-heat glue gun (I always touch it)

I like to do my crafting while watching Doctor Who, this is my nice relaxing time when I'm done with homework.

And here is the finished product:

Soon to be posted in my Etsy shop.

Also, I see there was a guest appearance by NIS in the kneading of the bread below.

Making Bread

2009-05-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Not that there's anything wrong with Pepperidge Farm. They do some fine work and really haven't let me down. But this morning I thought I'd make some bread, because I'm domestic like that.

Ingredients at the ready: whole wheat & all-purpose flour, egg, honey, water, salt, yeast, butter

Kneading it thoroughly. For a long time.

After rising for two hours on the screen porch (a very good place in the summer)

It turned out scrumptious. Maybe try some with butter and whipped honey?

Recipe:

1/4 cup warm water

I package yeast

(together in a bowl until the yeast is dissolved)

then add:

1 egg, beaten

2 and 1/2 cups warm water

1/4 to 1/2 cup honey, sugar or maple syrup

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 stick butter

then:

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups all-purpose flour

knead for 10-20 minutes, lightly pushing away the dough with the heel of your hand and folding it over. Once it is smooth, elastic and satiny, let it rise in a greased bowl in a warm spot for an hour (covered with a clean cloth). After an hour, punch down the dough, separate into 3 portions, let rest for 10 minutes under a clean cloth. Then shape as desired, put into greased pans and let rise for 45 minutes (again with the clean cloth - just in case you were tempted to put a dirty cloth over your nice bread dough). Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

About Us

2009-05-03T05:37:00.001-07:00

Two sisters who enjoy crafting, cooking, reading books & cookbooks, traveling, fine dining & chic clothes.

RKP is an economics major at the University of Maryland & crafts custom vintage shoes which she sells through her Etsy shop.

PPS is a librarian at a university in the Southeast, a pianist & an admirer of Julia Child.