" i grabbed some from allrecipes.com and other locations , the one i tried i wasn't fond of
and the others are like 30 ingredients
so without trying all the ones i find called  the best blueberry muffin recipe in the universe( or world, solar system, town, etc.) i wanted to find one that someone i know actually says is the best blueberry muffin recipe in the universe, world , solar system, town. "

(Muffin designs done a couple of years ago. I always loved them! I know the formatting is weird, but I have to go to work.)

Help us out with a personally-tested muffin recipe, won't you?

xo, m

xo, m

Hint, hint.

Funny!

Did you know that I love presents?

Take a look at this lovely package I received in the mail last week:

Cute tissue, tied with fabric, bee stickers: Awesome.

And even more awesome? It was wrapped by a boy!

My  pal Scott from Blue Nickel Studios sent me a birthday present:

A handmade mini quilt! So thoughtful. 

I love the homespun feel, the stitching and beading. One of my favorite motifs: house/home. And a pink kitty!

Also:

Yup, bee ribbon. You gotta love a guy who pays attention. (thank you so much, Scott!)

There is still time to enter Scott's Tootsie Pop Mini Quilt Challenge - entries are due August 15! It looks like fun!

xo, m

Oooh! A surprise photo location? Cool!

He said, " I'll give you one word: RUST."

At five, we headed home (we work together), grabbed the camera, hopped in the Little Car and headed out. Ten minutes later, we arrived at our destination, Dowses Beach in Osterville.

From the parking lot, we took this sandy lane through the Cape Cod roses (rosa rugosa) to get to the beach:

Camera in hand, I followed him to the  jetty. We climbed onto the rocks and carefully made our way to the end, the Atlantic Ocean splashing up against our raised path. I looked out and saw nothing but a  seam of sea meeting sky.

But that's not what I was there for.

ooooooh. What is that?  

Only the most amazing bubbly rust that I have ever seen. 

Looking down toward the base:

Can you even believe it?

Closer:

Top view:

(stupid monkey toes. Damn that longer second toe!)

Awesome painty crackles on the other side:

Ok, so I pretty much got every surface.

But can you blame me?

Ready to leave, I looked down with the camera and he got all  cute and shy with his feet, the sillyhead!

 Thanks, sweetie!

I just got back from a walk, and I'm all, "Why am I not doing this every morning?"

It feels so good to move. You may recall that I need physical activity to work off my stress-anxiety-depression tendencies. I have not been getting enough exercise lately and I can feel it. And unfortunately for everyone around me, so can they! I really should, at the very least, work out as a service to the people in my daily life. Poor things.

So I still have pictures from the Boston Handmade Marketplace last month. Hope you aren't sick of hearing about it. Here goes.

Being a fan of Ashley Anna Brown's photo stream, I was excited for the chance to see her Fern Animals up close (and personal.)

Till July 25th only, Ashley is accepting custom orders for animals.   Get on it! Ooooh, I wish I had some of my fabric samples. Maybe she'll still make me one when I get them, if I beg. I am so not above begging for stuffed animals.

Aren't they amazingly cute?

It's hard to get a sense of scale from these pictures, but they are petite.

Tiny!

Here, see how giant I am in comparison?

And I am but a wee lass!

I love that little lion. Oh my god. Did I mention the cuteness? Are you sensing it? Do you get the cuteness?

I was all exuberant about them like that while I was there looking at them. I think Ashley may have been frightened.

Charming  hand-painted signage:

Check out this adorable collection of strawberry pincushions:

Vintagey, non?

I love the linen one:

Birds!

I mean, who doesn't love a hand made bird softie?  Aren't they perfect?

Since the creatures weren't in my budget, so I was happy that she had some smaller ticket items:

I didn't get the buttons, but I did get some of these:

Again with the cute signs!

I was psyched that these cards were so affordable. (That little one on the right is her business card.)

They are really nice quality postcards with brown envelopes.

I love them.

I don't even want to send them to anyone, that's how much I love them. 

Ok, time for work. Tell me how you are.  I want to know.

xo, m

Went to Providence for the weekend. I hung out with Madelyn and her friends Kath and Norma, danced in the streets (literally), bought some art supplies and thrifty stuff, ate yummy food.

Friday night, The Best Grilled Cheese of My Life was consumed at The Red Fez, a very hip, dimly lit restaurant  that was playing Nick Cave and Depeche Mode. After dinner, Maddie and I went to Whole Foods to get dessert. We decided on a giant peanut butter cupcake and a mini raspberry pie. But when we got home we were still too full from the crack-laced grilled cheese and french fries, that all we could do was lay on the couch and watch Flight of the Conchordes.

Saturday night, we partook  of the finale of  Providence Sound Session, a week-long music festival that culminates in a parade  from  Water Place Park to Westminster  (!)  Street, where there are a few different stages set up- music everywhere . It was awesome, as it was last year. My favorite part is the What Cheer? Brigade, a kooky  marching band (way more cool than it sounds). We joined in the parade behind them  I got a chance to bust out my shimmy, which was a treat. Live drumming always wakes up the shimmy. I didn't take pictures because I had to choose between blogging and dancing, and I really needed to dance. I haven't been getting enough exercise and I have been stressed, so the dancing was a great release. Plus, Maddie and I did our usual laughing like hyenas, and that was good medicine.

Toward the end of the night I leaned over and said, "Hey Maddie, you know what we're gonna do when we get home? We are going to wreck that cupcake from last night."

Sunday, we had waffles and mimosas in Kath's garden, which was just lovely.

St. Francis:

Kath's yard had some delicious textures:

I was really happy that I brought my camera.

mmmmm. nummy.

An old bike becomes a garden ornament:

Yum:

Blackberries:

Kath has chickens!

The front yard is incredible - all garden. Even the little strip of grass on the other side of the sidewalk:

I bet all the runners in her neighborhood look forward to passing by her house. I know I would!

Maddie gave me some prayer flags for my birthday. Seeing Kath's made me itch to put mine up!

Actually, now I am itching to make some. Spiritual Bunting.

I just love this with the blue sky:

And sunflowers!

Ahhhh. Isn't that, like, the essence of happiness?

After brunch, Kath, a lifelong seamstress,  let me forage for sewing supplies in her basement. (Thanks, Kath!) You will not even believe what I have to show you! I need a sunny day so I can take pictures. Prepare yourself.

I like Kath so much I told her that on my next visit, I want her hands all over my naked body.

She's a massage therapist.

xo,

m 

ok, first: Someone please tell me that you got the title of the previous post.

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 Yard sale cuteness from last weekend:

Oh, yes. Vintage ceramic elves. Love them.

Big feet! And you know what that means. (Big shoes, you naughty bird.)

Look at the the darling expression:

Such personality with just a few strokes.

Uh oh:

Thor makes an appearance! You know you missed him. It was a balancing act to capture this cuteness while being ready to catch one of the figures should Thor knock it off the windowsill. Worth it.

Hey, did I ever tell you that I can juggle? I taught myself in  the spring of 2000. If I've been practicing a lot, I can even juggle four, but just for 3 or 4 passes. That is hard, yo!

Juggling is awesome because it requires total focus. It's actually a great meditation and stress reliever. Learning to juggle is funny, because you absolutely will suck at it for a few hours and then gradually you start to get it.

It's really useful to be willing to be bad at something. It builds perseverance and humility. And in a way, faith. I kind of wish I could go through the process of learning to juggle again, because I sure could use some of that faith stuff.

Drinking my soymilk coffee.

Listening to Iron and Wine.

Tired. You know, as much as I loved going to Quilt Market in Portland, it really knocked me on my ass. I feel like I'm still recovering.

I'm going to Providence again this weekend. Good for me, bad for my poor neglected garden!

...................................................................................................................................................

From Madelyn's:

Love that.

Madelyn and a friend of hers joined forces to create these ornamental trellises:

They are hard to photograph!

I want some.

Another collaboration:

Mmmmm, rust.

Oh, that reminds me: I bought a metal headboard for 5 bucks at a yard sale that I am going to use as a fence/trellis for my roses! I'll take pictures when I finally get around to doing it!

Great contrast of industrial and homey, don't you think?

I'm so jealous  of this curbside find:

So cute!

(((Looking at all of these pictures of Madelyn's place makes me think 'Oh, my poor garden.' I am being a bad  garden mama this year. Not watering, not weeding. I have to just let it go for now because it will make me crazy if I think about it. Gardener's guilt!)))

Maddie's bird sculpture:

Check out this awesome hanging planter:

And more on the porch:

Don't they look great all together like that?

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I feel boring today, so I will leave you now.

xo, m

Right when Maddie and I  got there for setup I noticed this shirt (and the girl wearing it):

That's Beth from Elizabeth Brennick Designs. She's a spitfire! (and so is her husband! What a sassy couple!)

Isn't that shirt awesome?

Here's the back:

No, she didn't make it. I think  she said she got it at Forever 21. There is so much to love about it, but the stripey binding especially kills me .

And her products are  awesome , too!

Recognize any of the fabrics? Mostly Westminster, baby! Love that.

Beth's 2 kids were  selling cupcakes that they made at home. Smart, smart, smart. I knew they would go fast, so I bought 4.

Would you like to know my special cupcake-eating technique?

First, pull off the top  to separate the cupcake into 2 layers:

Next, hold the top upside down, so the frosting is on the bottom and place on the other half of the cupcake:

Now you have a cupcake sandwich. The frosting will be evenly spread throughout your eating experience.

Enjoy. You're welcome.

Back to Beth's stuff:

I love this top with the teardrop shapes:

If you must have something Beth made, you can always check out her etsy shop.

She had a great looking booth.  I particularly liked the clothesline action:

Cute magnets:

And cute shoes (not for sale):

Mimi, me, and Beth:

I love meeting such talented and wonderful women.

More soon, gotta get ready for work.

xoxo

m