Gratitude: Fall Treats

Apple Muffins: recipe and image from kitchn.com

I love this time of the year, and have been enjoying outdoor adventures, Fall colors, and the endless possibilities of delicious things to cook and bake during this season. Today, I am testing out a recipe for Thanksgiving: Apple Muffins. Mike eats very little sugar (and I try not to), so this recipe is sweetened only by the natural sugars from apples. I was tempted to add raw sugar, because I love that crunchy sweet texture on top of baked goods, but I will try them without first. As they bake in my oven this very moment, I can smell the delicious aromas of apple and cinnamon filling up our home - a perfect remedy for this grey day.

Cooking always puts me at ease and is a good alternative for when I feel like making something, but do not feel inspired to work on a craft project. Cooking is just as creative in my opinion, and you get to eat the results! Here is the recipe for the muffins from the kitchn (a site I spend way too much time on and for very good reasons.) Let me know how yours turn out if you decide to make some. Enjoy!
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Now playing: Department Of Eagles - No One Does It Like You
via FoxyTunes

Gratitude: Advice from Strangers

Hello! I hope you have been enjoying the Fall. I apologize for vanishing for awhile. My offline life took over. The Fall is usually a busy time for me, but I have missed keeping this space updated. My original intent for this blog was to have a place to turn to when feelings of frustration or sadness were taking over. Interestingly enough, I have felt content lately. Not wildly happy in a manic way, but just satisfied. Of course, I still get frustrated with life's more annoying details, but it seems more manageable.

Several years ago, I met a woman on an airplane ride home from Portland to New York. I was going through some turmoil at that point and somehow we started discussing it. I told her that I felt like I had no filters and that everything effected me in such a strong way. She promised me that after 30 (or thereabouts) things would calm down. My moods would become more balanced and I would eventually learn skills to handle whatever drama presented itself - provided that I made an active choice to stop creating the drama (which I was very good at). I told her that I really hoped so and until then, I would keep her words in my mind. I am grateful that I did.
It turns out that she was not so far from the truth. At 32, I am still prone to bouts of self-doubt and mild hysteria, but it never lasts long. Along with the kind advice of the stranger on the airplane, this blog has been instrumental in helping me arrive at a better place. Having a place to remind myself of good things has been beneficial. Perhaps, it has worked too well, because I rarely feel like I need such reminders.

I have also been less demanding of myself. I have been enjoying life for what it is, and not what I think (or others think) my life should be. I am actually happy not trying to compete or do anything spectacular. I like simple things, like watching a good film or talking with a friend. I spent too much time in the past worrying about my future. I think I missed a lot of amazing moments by being so focused on the next thing.

Of course, I will continue to post here, because it's good practice, and I also love promoting the amazing work of others in the Visual Treats section! It can not always be about me.

Above are some pictures of things I am grateful for from the past month.

Owl says Hoo

Just an addition to the last post. I could not resist. I know I have an owl addiction, but they are just so darn cute and slightly dangerous looking at the same time (well, perhaps not this cutie. He looks sweet). Notice the different patterns that make up the owl. Check out the rest of Jonas' fabulous illustrations here on flickr.


Owl says Hoo
Originally uploaded by jonas_illustration

Visual Treats: Woodland Delights

I love the city, but I often feel nature deprived. If I can not go on a weekend adventure, my solution is to buy little woodland trinkets, jewelry, and prints on etsy! It feeds the part of me that craves a life full of campfires, acorns, trees, and adorable woodland creatures, and also supports independent artists and designers. Not too shabby. Here are some of my favorites from etsy:


Images (left to right by row): cindytomczykart.etsy.com, knitalatte.etsy.com, seasonaldelights.etsy.com, amberalexander.etsy.com, decoratethediva.etsy.com, berkleyillustration.etsy.com, nutandbee.etsy.com, fairyfolk.etsy.com, weewoodnaturaltoys.etsy.com

Oh, but wait...what about these guys? Hang one or possibly all of them on your wall and you will have constant woodland companions. Thank you for being brilliant, Berkley Illustration (send my love to Portland!)


"Please don't eat me! I'm a well dressed squirrel with allergies to peanuts."


"Greetings and salutations, campfire friends. May I read you a story?"

Images: Berkley Illustration

Visual Treats: Brian Dettmer's Altered Books

Made from an encyclopedia.


Made from a wallpaper sample book.

Photos: Kinz + Tilou Fine Art

Brian Dettmer brings new life to outdated and/or discarded media, such as encyclopedias, vintage books, cassettes, maps, and video tapes. For his "Book Autopsies", he uses the existing cover to create a frame for his intricate collage worlds (examples shown above). Dettmer creates his own interpretation of the pages by carefully carving into the books to reveal select parts. He does not add to the book or remove page elements from it. Instead, he uses a varnish to secure down the section that he does not want revealed. View more of his work here at local Chicago gallery, Packer Schopf.

Featured Project

This seems fairly straightforward. It's a great way to reuse unwanted books. I imagine a liner of some sort is needed. More information is available here.

Visual Treats

From Orbs

From Blinded by the Light
I feel something indescribable when I look at Carlo van de Roer's work. I wish I could describe it, but I think I wrote too many critiques in college (as an art history major) and now I just feel my responses, rather than analyze them. Luckily, there are plenty of wonderful blogs and websites that can provide more in-depth information on his work, if you are interested. I feature artists on this blog to help promote them, but also to convey the point to myself and others, that life is full of beauty and simplicity - if we choose to look for it. Art is a great way to illustrate this, and Carlo's photographs are a perfect example, in my opinion. They are simple compositions that urge viewers to look beyond and find new perspectives.

Originally from New Zealand, Carlo currently lives in New York. He has a strong interest in the paranormal, and although he may not firmly believe in it, he investigates it through his work. His series, Portrait Machine Project, captures the auras of his subjects through the use of the Aura Camera 600, which produces soft and haunting results as seen in the below image.


His series, Orbs, is best described on his website:

"Intrigued by the widespread belief that orb photographs document the supernatural, Carlo set out to examine the phenomenon for himself. He photographed people in scenes partly obscured by precipitation, in which parts of the landscape are hidden. Orbs are represented as dots, which are screen-printed over the surface of the prints, presenting the photograph as a constructed object."

My favorite series by Carlo is Blinded by the Light. He photographed display dioramas at the Museum of Natural History in New York (one of my favorite places). Carlo states in an interview with Pilot Magazine that the dioramas "illustrate a pretty antiquated view of nature," and that the lens flare in the photographs "introduce or extend the narrative, exaggerating the contrived scene."

I encourage you to check out the rest of Carlo's photos and series here. Some of his work is available for sale on 20x200, which has many other talented, emerging photographers. Have a good evening!

Gratitude: the small things

I woke up today with a strong desire to accomplish a big project and be productive, even though I felt exhausted. Let me remind you that today is Sunday - a perfectly acceptable day to relax, go on a bike ride, and read. However, since I was a little girl, I have had an inner stirring to keep busy. I often get depressed if I do not get at least ten things checked off my list. The nagging feeling on weekends is doubled by my fear that I will not accomplish as much during the week, because I have to work.

I desperately want to learn to relax without associating it with guilt. It's somewhat crazy to always feel inclined to produce. I really admire my husband, who is productive, but also knows how to tune out and relax for a few hours as needed. He actually gets a lot more done and has a much calmer perspective on life than I presently do (his level-headed outlook on life is one of the many, many reasons why I married him).

Anyway, after being thoroughly annoyed with myself, I came to the realization that I should measure my success through the simple things that I do or do have. The small things in life, without fail, make me the happiest. I am talking about homemade jams, fresh flowers, tomatoes from the garden, blue skies, good books that you can not put down, adventures and hikes, a good conversation over dinner with friends, finding treasures in antique stores, listening to an album you love in its entirety, and so on. These things make me feel whole.

This week, I will practice focusing on these types of things, instead of worrying about loftier goals. I can work toward bigger things if so desired, but in small steps. Holly at decor8 has a very inspiring post about the slow process of laying down a foundation for your future dreams and goals. If you really want something, it takes time to get there, and it is often frustrating. In the meantime, let's remember the small things and be happy living with what we have now.

Above this post are my photos of some of the small things that I am grateful for.

Visual Treats: The Little Chickadee

This lovely couple was created by the Little Chickadee on etsy. Put them in a frame together or side by side and they will make an interesting addition to your home. Best of all, they are very budget friendly! Visit her store to view more of imaginative prints, cards, and other items available for sale. She also makes custom pet portraits, as seen below.

Note to self

Good advice from a hand silkscreened reproduction of a vintage WWII era poster by sfgirlbyba on etsy.