(Inside A Black Apple)

Black Apples for Me

Curiously enough, I received two black apples made just for me in this last week's mail. In light of the strange (and thoughtful!) coincidence, I thought I should share them!

The first is this beautiful miniature painting from Justin, who sent it out of the blue, and enclosed the kindest note.

Thank you so much, Justin! It is just lovely. I am going to have it framed up beautifully in a nice vintage-looking frame as soon as I get a chance, and hang it in a cluster amongst other beloved two dimensional curiosities. 

And this little gal arrived yesterday, from Heidi, and you know the timing couldn't have been more perfect:

See? She's a little plush "black apple"-head!
The photo doesn't do her cuteness justice, but trust me that her little embroidered smile brought me a big one, also.  Heidi, as Wesley Willis might say,  is my buddy in a mix. So is this new applehead.
And that little gocco'ed baker's box she showed up in? Pretty great, too. I'm saving it...I just don't know yet for what.

Here's to a good week coming up!
I want to be mostly making, and listening, and reading and writing. And then traveling.
But first, the other four.

xoxo

It's the Little (mostly red) Things...

I thought I'd post about a few recent purchases of little things that are making me very, very happy.
And when I started thinking about it, many of them seem to be red (or reddish)...so we've got kind of a theme going here:

Beautiful poppy pin from the graceful Etsy shop, Foundling (the equally beautiful image is the seller's own). Very excited about these...I've been eying them for quite a while.

These insanely sweet and Black Apple-ish hairpins from Anthro that I had also been eying for a while.

Also from Anthro, this teacup I had been crazy for, and finally ordered.

Pretty scatter-pins (the least red of the bunch, I'm noticing now) from this quirky-cute Etsy shop.

And this gocco print, which I find terribly romantic, from the always-right-on Julianna Swaney. I can't keep my dollars in my pocket when I go to her Etsy shop!

Here's to little treasures that make it all so much better!
xoxo

Scarves + Future Scarves

I am in love with something that came in the mail last week....

It is a scarf from a cool online shop called Lulette.
They have lots of neat pre-set designs, like mine (and you can choose the colors) or you can have your own message/phrase made into a scarf. Lovely!

Here is the default color combination for the "I Like Winter" scarf ^

I've also been really obsessed with the yarns of Etsy seller Folktale Fibers. I've always been really drawn to art-yarn, and now I can do something besides just spruce up packages with it.
Here's one of my favorites from her shop:

She doesn't have that much in the shop at the moment, but I think that she's planning to update soon.

The weekend is going very nicely and very quietly (I've been watching Louis Theroux's BBC documentaries on Youtube while I work on projects, and we're wrapping up Deadwood season 3 (sniff).
I hope Sunday is treating you well!

The Birds and the Bees and the Sampler and some Cameos...

Bonjour, Applets!

So, I'm poking my head out from under the enormous piles of mailing there is to be done today...and tomorrow...and the next day.
I figured you needed to know that my oatmeal cookies from Sunday were extremely tasty and have officially vanished as of a few hours ago. A happy Sunday afternoon:

What better way to usher in early fall than cinnamon-y oatmeal cookies (these had shards of chocolate, too, making them extra good). I just use the recipe on the top of the oatmeal box, excepting two..er...three things. I add about a 1/4 c sugar, 1/4 c oatmeal, and subtract about 1/4 c flour...this makes for very satisfactory cookies. And I told you I was immersed in the amazing decorations of all the fall/Halloweeny Martha magazines...

This combination of textures and creatures really made me happy yesterday. I didn't even realize until I went to post  that I was exhibiting the birds AND the bees at once! So cheeky. Anyway, I replaced the buttons on this lemony sweater (don't worry! I saved the lemons for another day!) to make it a bit more fall-ish/switch it up.

I whipped up a batch of new cameo pins over the weekend:

They'll be included in the next shop update, which I'm thinking will be in about a week or week-and-a-half. I have to get all the sale orders shipped before I can finish up more work!

AND...Remember this little pretty tea-girl?
It's finally time that I can announce the Sampler's super-cool new product, The Sampler Select. This one is "home-y" themed, and SO lovely...I'm really tempted to get one for myself. It was curated by the sweet + creative Alison of Wonderland Q, and there are neat interviews with the contributers (you can read mine right here).   

Isn't that house-box the cutest?! They're right, it would be the greatest housewarming gift.
I heart the Sampler! Keep it up, Marie!

Jennifer Murphy by way of other hands, still amazing

I got a few of my Christmas-y decorations from Ms. Lovely Jennifer Murphy's line with Midwest of Cannon Falls in the mail yesterday, and I've been poring over them since the hopped out of the box.

I have to admit, it threw me for a loop initially to see, for the first time, a friend's (well, crafty-internet-friend) work reproduced in this fashion, especially since there are so many special, hand-crafted details. They did a really nice job, and I think that it really speaks to her design work and intrinsic quirkiness that the characters translate so well, even if made by other hands and with less fancy materials...see exhibits A, B, and C right here:

So good.
Up til now, there has been nothing that I love this much in the world of contemporary holiday decorations. Now I can't wait for my Halloween fellows.

Congratulations, Jenn!!! They are an unqualified success.
Happy Weekend, all my other applets!

Enids and Wolfbabies for storing your moolah

Just a really quick note to let you know that the Tinymeat + Black Apple collabo wallets are up in Tiny's shop and they look amazing! I'm totally about to snap a few up for myself.

Wolfbaby Vs. Foxbaby & Tiny Enid

(EDIT: I think that Mike is only keeping one in stock at a time, so just check his shop directly if one of the designs seems to be sold out! Don't worry, he'll restock them!)

I like it

By popular demand (and because it's such a sweet image), Cold Toes, Warm Heart is now available as a postcard pack in the shop. A nice little addition to the current offerings, which I like...

More that I like:
Amazing show posters from Ratmusque: 
                                                                                                            

&

The new wallet collabo between my-pal-and-yours, AshleyG and the nicies Mike and Mona (who I have met and liked very much) over at Tinymeat:

PS: This little applet is also working with M&M on a wallet series!

&
Kirsten Anderson's glowing review of the new Mark Ryden show, complete with loads of photos of celebrities-to-me, a nice thorough description of the setup (for those of us who, boo hoo, don't live in LA), and a few glimpses of the work:

*sigh*
I wish I had a friend in Los Angeles that I desperately needed to visit.

&

Nara's  Dog-on-Wheels over at Rose and Radish:



&

(Obviously) this one:



Thank you so much for all of your suggestions and wisdom about Miette + "the box" and general kitten-ish tips! What a wealth of wisdom I have at my disposal...
I am happy to say he is using it like an old pro now, and all is very good.

Happy Sunday & wishes for a good week ahead! Now, back to my one-girl packaging party...

I say YES to...

It's a Sunday just right for lists and listing.
For listing all of the things that I say Yes to, on this pretty, blustery February day.

*Don't worry if you're only in it for the psychotically good chocolate cake recipe I promised...it's down at the bottom

These things are all making me happy this weekend:

A little drawing that I did that was included in the last shop update...I just keep thinking of it and cracking up with joy. There will be a print run of it, too, up in the next few days.

Izze soda, in Clementine and Black Raspberry, which I fell in love with at a bodega in Brooklyn & recently realized is sold at the good ol' Target! So I'm back on the wagon. Or off the wagon. Whichever. This stuff is so tasty, and as it is just loads of random fruit juices and carbonated water, I feel better about it than regular soda. I love carbonation (who doesn't?) and this help me get my fizz kick without all of the "mystery chemicals". And the packaging is cute as hell...the cans are adorable, skinny 8-ouncers.

Pete + Pete seasons 1 & 2 DVDs, which I got on from a certain sweet pea for my birthday. I looooved this show when I was younger and got to catch it at *GASP* a friend's house who had television channels beyond PBS. They totally hold up. Really. This show was so ahead of it's time...I remember when "Malcolm in the Middle" showed up and everyone acted like it was so quirky and revolutionary, and all I was thinking was "Hello!!? Does anyone remember a little show called "Pete + Pete"?!"
I mean, it's got Stephin Merritt music...Artie, The Strongest Man in the World (who, for Carnivale buffs, plays "Stumpy/Felix" aka "The Burlesque Dad")...and amazing plots about mysterious phone booths.

The one-person-quilt that I made for my sweet mama for her birthday (which was yesterday, 4 days after mine). It's all salmony and pinky and linen-y. We had a very fun family-party yesterday with my amazing grandparents from North Carolina and lots of guacamole and beer and two kinds of tasty cakes (one that they brought all the way from Elizabeth City, where they live...and one was my...dare I say it...perfected Nigella cheesecake). I have to say, it doesn't get much better than drinking Miller High Life with your funny, sweet, interested, and interesting grandparents. Nope. Or giving your wonderful mom a quilt you made to keep her toes warm (that's in the unlikely event that she ever sits down).

OKAY!
Scary-Good Sour Cream Chocolate Cake, Nigella style.
(The original text can be found in Domestic Goddess, which I highly recommend buying if you have a mouth, or know someone who does).

For the cake:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 + 2 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tblsp "best" cocoa (Nigella says "best" alot. I think it is cute. And snooty.)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 thoroughly greased 8" cake pans (I used 9", and they were slightly flatter, obviously, but still fine)

For the Icing (so good!):
3 oz milk chocolate (I use a big bar of Cadbury, which I love)
3 oz bittersweet chocolate (again with the Cadbury)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tblsp light corn syrup
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted (Nigella is insane... you will use at least 3 cups)
a bit of hot water

Preheat le oven to 350.

Combine the dry ingredients for the cake in a large bowl. Using your mixer, add the butter. In another bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla, then add this cocoa-y muck to the big bowl of floury buttery stuff.

Pour the batter into the pans and bake for about 30 minutes...the cake starts to shrink back from the edges of the pan, and this is when you take it out from the oven. Leave it for a bit, and then when you can, turn it out onto cooling racks or some paper towels.

Then start on the icing, which is the more fun part anyway. Melt the chocolate (both kinds) and butter in either a microwave (if you have one, and like to play it safe) or on VERY low heat on the stove. Very low. Remember how persnickety chocolate is and how easily it burns.
Once it's all smooth and nice, take it off the heat and let it cool for just a bit. Then stir in the sour cream, vanilla, and syrup. When this is blended, slowly start adding in confectioner's sugar, stirring and stirring until you get the right consistency. If you need to, add a pinch of hot water. You probably won't need to...but just make sure it's nice and thick, but easy to spread.

Then, ice your cake! (If it is cool enough, of course).

Cut + Serve to worthy peeps.
And eat some yourself. As soon as you can get your apron off.

What a nice start to the week! I hope that all weekends were A+.

In Which All Is Full of Love...

What a wonderful birthday and St. Valentine's day I had...the one-two punch of all of that kindness and good food has left me feeling slightly drunk and uncharacteristically, slap-happily...well...happy. Thanks to you guys for all of the sweet little well-wishings that were left on Tuesday. I felt very loved by blog-land!

I felt immensely loved in real life, too, and I was the happy recipient of some very thoughtful gifts. About a month ago, I asked Josiah to write me a story for my birthday, which he did. Not just a story, though...what he presented me with was a 30+ page, beautiful, whimsical, semi-biographical (of me) fairy story. Needless to say, there were many happy, incredulous tears of appreciation...I feel so damn lucky.

My treasured real-life + blog-life darlin' Sara made me the sweetest creature for my birthday, which she gave me along with some much-needed kitchen implements:

The sushi+pals combo proved the perfect remedy for the yuck weather, and after a very tasty dinner we went out for (wait for it) ice cream, which, in the very windy and misty winter air seemed so-wrong-it-was-right. Then the gaggle of us headed over to the nice, quiet place where my good buddy Keith tends bar, and, in honor of my birthday, he (being quite the johnny-on-the-spot creator) presented me a "The Black Apple Martini"! My Keith is an excellent concocter, and it was so tasty...truly almost black, and filled with pomegranate, cherry, apple, etc in a big, swanky glass.

I hope that everyone's Valentine's Day was exactly what it needed to be...I know that many people abhor the day. I just hate the fact that people-in-general don't treat every possible day like Valentine's Day. We stayed in and I made a nice, quiet dinner at home. The only confectionery request I received was for Nigella's sour cream cake from "Domestic Goddess", so we had that in spades. That cake...it blows my mind. It really does. Most cake, truthfully, I could kinda take or leave (meaning I usually don't want to devour the whole thing as quickly as possible). One lone conversation heart dots the middle:

Recipe to follow tomorrow, because everyone must experience this cake, even if they don't have the complete Nigella library at their disposal. And, speaking of conversation hearts, has anyone noticed how utterly bizarre the little sayings are these days?! Almost all of them seem to refer to either slightly antiquated or really unromantic modes-of-communication..."Fax Me", "Email Me", "Page Me" (!!!). There was one in the box that simply stated "Love 4 Gold".

What?!

Conversation hearts are supposed to be about slyly communicating your Love 4 a Person, not demanding that someone Fax You an invoice for the bling they just bought for you. The single white one atop the cake simply says "Dear One", which was really the only one I could find that didn't offend my sensibilities.

I'm getting the shop update ready for 4:00 EST, which involves some bustling, but  I am so happy that I did have time for a proper blog-post! I'll leave you with the wee bear girl I mentioned in my very short (sentence-long) post yesterday:

PS: One thrifted teddy bear was harmed in the making of this sweetie. Just so you know.

In which Bribery is the best motivator

So, thanks to a sweet bunch of little 'applets, I've got loads, LOADS of mail-room work to do today and tomorrow and as far as I can see. As you might remember, I'm a big fan of bribing myself in order to do things that I don't want to do...things such as a.) cleaning or b.) packing + shipping.

The bribery today involves making chocolate and peanut butter brownies, listening to more of the audiobook of Fragile Things, the newer Neil Gaiman story anthology (his reading voice is so lovely and comforting and wonderful), and then dinner with my friend James. And then more packing up of things.

Some good mail just arrived...Risa sent some adorable tea party favors for the ladies who attended the make-believe tea party:

Also, this beautiful package from Krista of Papered Together, the hedgie cards I mentioned the other day, and other things inside...

And goodness gracious, do you SEE those surprise personalized hedgie cards she made for me? I am so spoiled, Krista! Thank you!

Okay, back to the mail-room I go.
Happily, too...actually, let's just say contentedly.

PS: I love the new painting on Mark Ryden's homepage from his new show...go visit it. It is beautiful!