Charleston in pictures

Well, hello! It's been longer than I expected and I still don't have my computer back. But thankfully I was able to get my hands on a loaner and so here I am to send you off into the weekend with a little bit of our trip to Charleston. So sit back, and enjoy!

I was on some kind of crazy early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule just about the whole trip. This is so not me, but I really enjoyed it. I would sneak off to the best, most beautiful coffee shop ever right next door: Hope and Union. Such a great space and wonderful single-origin coffees.

One of the mornings I rode one of the bikes at our rental down to the harbor to take in the early morning light and views. This trip was all about the water.

Oh, right. Who am I kidding? It was all about the food. Boiled peanuts start your meal right at the incredible Hominy Grill. Shrimp and grits? Check.

We had my mom's birthday dinner at McCrady's. I can't even tell you how good the whole meal and experience was. We made our reservation before one of the New York Times critics wrote that this is the best place in the United States to eat outside of New York. This is not a place or dining experience where you take photos, you just sit back, soak it all in and enjoy — which is exactly what we did. You enter through the alleyway door seen above into a dark cave of brick and loveliness. The menu was unique, locally sourced and way interesting enough to satisfy the two foodies at the table while not making our parents feel uncomfortable or dissatisfied with the offerings, And then once the food started arriving, we all gushed and oohed and melted. Divine.

The monarch butterflies agreed that it was a perfect time to visit Charleston.

Other notables? Fabulous menswear store: Indigo & Cotton. Shrimp po boy at Boulevard Dinner. Cinnamon rolls at Bakehouse. Ceviche at Hank's Seafood. Scallops at Sermet's on Daniel Island. Well, now I need a snack just thinking about it all.

Have a great weekend!

Electrical bomb dropped

I am just returned from dropping my workhorse of a computer at the Apple store. The power supply appears to have been fried during a major electrical storm we had last night. I'm trying my best not to panic, but in the meantime, I'll be a bit slow on the updates. I have photos from Charleston to share, but it will have to wait for another day.

Flown the coop

These are a couple of my sad attempts to capture the Sandhill cranes that have been hanging around these days. I'm fascinated by their prehistoric cries, red throats and gangly strut.

But what I'm really here to tell you is that I've flown the coop. I'm headed south to surprise my mom for her birthday and, with some of the rest of the family, whisk her off for several fun-filled days in Charleston, SC. I'll be back the week of October 24 filled, I'm quite certain, with tales of eating and adventure!

Reclaimed at River's Edge Gallery

Curated by Dennis and Christina Jacobs of Perfect Laughter, Reclaimed: A Resurrection of Found Objects is a group show opening at River's Edge Gallery in Wyandotte next Friday, October 21 at 6 p.m. The couple—known for both their outstanding printmaking work and their popular arts blog—have gathered a formidable collection of artists to contribute to the show and I couldn't be more honored to be included in the mix. The opening corresponds with Wyandotte's Third Friday so there will be plenty else to do and see in the area, so please come and show your support for the local art scene! 

Above is a little sneak peak at my piece for the show. It has panoramic dimensions making it quite difficult to photograph, so please bear with these less-than-stellar shots. And now a little back story…

As you may already know, we moved into a new house in July. I wanted to do something related to this for the show and handily found this broken down mirror tucked away in a back corner of the basement under a pile of old shutters.
 

I removed the glass and in doing so managed to mangle what remained of the decorative embellishments on top — and so decided to remove them all. 

I used the broken mirror bits as a stencil to trace out the necessary shapes and then cut them out from scraps of sketch paper that had been used in one block printing endeavor or another.

I wanted to build up the surface to a workable thickness on which I could draw. I used bits of pages from a typing manual I picked up at a thrift store recently — I bought it for the cover and then have done nothing with it since! My first layer was bubbly and uneven, so I continued to add layers trying to make it smooth. In the end I added a final layer of newsprint that worked out better than the rest. I then added several layers of gesso and—at last—began to draw…

I knew I wanted the piece to be related to our new house in some way. As I showed you in this "Chandelier Madness" post, the place is filled with multiple chandeliers in every room — including the bathrooms — so it seemed appropriate to focus on those. They give our home such character — plus they're super fun to draw.  

You'll have to come down to the show to really see, as these photos are terrible. Plus you'll get to see a show chock full of amazing artists. It runs through November 18.

Liberty Local recap and treasures

When I said a couple of photos from Liberty Local, I meant just that: two. Yikes! I thought I had taken more, but must have gotten distracted by all the goodies around me. Above is a look at my display and then, below, just one of the many amazing origami designs by my table neighbor, Beth Johnson.

These penguins are from her web site and I strongly encourage you to go visit for more. Beth also has diagrams to learn from and all kinds of useful info. She was super fun to be next to and I enjoyed listening to her talk about her work so passionately.

I made several purchases at the show—I couldn't help myself! I've admired Sarah Place-Minshall's sewn goods for some time now. (She makes them under the name Hip to Piece Squares. Cute, right?!)  I hadn't bought anything before because I literally want it all and can never decide. She has such spot on taste in color and fabric design. I've especially wanted a pair of her kimono house shoes and finally got some—and the super cute pencil case— both seen above. I was also extremely tempted by this, this and this. Someone go buy them before I do—please! 

I also picked up one of these awesome "Hell Yeah" tees for the boy. I seriously wanted one for myself, too and am regretting not snagging two. They are made by Alisa Bobzien who has a great sense of humor and style. I was also tempted by her sweet Michigan constellation tee:

What did you get up to last weekend? It was great to see those of you who could stop by the show and I look forward to seeing the rest of you somewhere's soon!

Northern water views

Last weekend the boy and I were headed up to Toronto to visit some friends for several days. I was looking forward to glorious urban wandering, leisurely sipping coffee here and there, maybe taking in some art. But mostly wandering. At the last minute, we got the call that we were being whisked off for a lake retreat instead — and let me tell you, while I was sad to miss the urban wanderings, the weekend, setting and company was perfection! Apologies for not filling you in sooner, but it's been crazy hectic around here these days. I'll have plenty of updates soon, but thought I would start with a few water views and sunsets.

I spent this most recent weekend as a vendor at Liberty Local at the Ann Arbor Art Center and had a wonderful time. I'll have a few photos, highlights and new finds for you tomorrow. Until then…

Whimsical Fiber Birds from Mary Katz

Isn't this little fellow sweet? He was my favorite in a show full of favorites. Mary Katz's exhibit, Whimsical Nature: Fiber Birds is on display at the University of Michigan's Taubman Health Center through October 10.

I met Mary last fall at the Renegade Craft Show in Chicago. We were neighbors and I fell in love with her beautifully crafted birds made from recycled thrift store finds. She is also a kind, kind soul. I especially love the pieces made from what appears to be suiting material—tweeds and herringbone and the like—such as the killdeer above. Each bird or set of birds is thoughtfully displayed with natural elements—perched on a branch, or marching across a crosscut slice of log.

The show is little bit hard to find, but well worth the hunt. It's open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, so there's plenty of time to take peak. You can also view more of Mary's work in her Etsy shop, Mary's Flora Fauna.

New Schwinn bicycle art in the shop!

At last! I've been wanting to draw my bicycle for quite some time. It is near and dear to me and comes with a bit of back story. It took a little nudge on Twitter to send me in the right direction… and now I have a fun new print in the shop!

The story: I fell in love with this lovely red Schwinn bicycle on a road trip many years ago. I was in Seattle for an amazing stop that included Bumbershoot, thrifting and lots of coffee drinking. This red beauty was leaning against a chain-link fence at a Seattle flea market and I knew it had to be mine. I bought a cheap, rickety bicycle rack and hauled the dreamy Schwinn all over the U.S. on the back of my little Saturn — unloading it every time I had to get into the trunk.

This included a flat tire in the swamps of Louisiana that I was sure would end with me inside the belly of a large gator. Thankfully, it did not, though it did deter my plans to visit the Tabasco factory. The photo above is the only one I could find with the car and bike — it's a little hard to make out, but I know it's there. I stopped to take this picture because I couldn't believe it was snowing in Texas—or how desolate and depressed it seemed.

So I happily made it back to New York with the Schwinn. When I brought it in for a tune-up, the local shop was super excited about it and told me that the Magic Hat symbol on it meant it was made pre-1964 (I think that's the year?) because Schwinn stopped using that symbol after that.

I cane very close to selling my sweet bike before moving here to Michigan—a dear friend in New York I knew would truly appreciate it and really wanted it — but at the last minute, I couldn't go through with it. And so the Schwinn is still here with me and long overdue for a drawing dedicated to her.

Updates and Lemongrass chicken recipe

Holy cow! I'm becoming a once a week blogger. Sincere apologies, lovelies. I've been missing you and hyper busy, but wanted to stop in for a quick hello. Oh, and tell you about this tasty chicken recipe. But first a few itty-bitty updates.

1. I had super-fun at the Saline Harvest of the Arts last weekend and met some amazing people from the Two Twelve Arts Center. I can't wait to check out more of their activities and offerings!  You might wanna do the same.

2. I'll be at one more craft show this fall: Liberty Local at the Ann Arbor Arts Center, Saturday October 7 and Sunday, October 8. There is an awesome line up of vendors—this promises to be a great show! Check it out here.

3. The Detroit Free Press gave a nice little shout out to my Wellie boot prints here. In honor of this little mention, I've made it super easy (and with a wee discount) to purchase three prints at once in my Etsy shop here.

Okay, okay. You've made it this far. Thanks for playing along. Back to that chicken recipe. Epicurious calls this, "Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Red Quinoa and Vegetables," but it's really all about the chicken marinade. So we're going to go with that bit—you can find the whole recipe here, but this chicken is SO amazing, you won't even notice what's being served with it as long as it can be slathered with the sauce. Gawd, it's good.

Lemongrass Chicken

Serves 2.

3 medium shallots, roughly chopped
2 stalks fresh lemongrass (tough outer leaves removed)
1 piece ginger (about 1 1/2 inches), peeled
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)

Puree shallots, lemongrass, ginger, 1/4 cup oil, lime juice, tamari, sugar, sea salt, pepper, and coriander in a blender until smooth. Place chicken in a baking dish and spoon on marinade, rubbing it on all sides. Cover; chill 1/2 to 2 hours. 

Heat a grill pan or skillet over high heat; coat with cooking spray. Cook chicken, (reserving the marinade) turning once, for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, turning once, until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove chicken; let rest two minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring marinade to a low boil over medium heat. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes.  

Slice each breast on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces and spoon sauce over.  

*Alternately, you can marinade chicken in half the sauce and reserve the remainder to serve with the chicken at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

 

DIY Street Fair and 2012 Illustrated Wall Calendar

Here's a look at my tent at this past weekend's amazing DIY Street Fair in Ferndale. I don't have many photos beyond that, because I didn't make my way too much beyond that! It was a super busy, busy successful weekend and I thank everyone who came out and supported all the wonderful vendors.

I had run out of business cards recently, but didn't wan to order more just yet because I want to redesign them a bit. Instead, I punched out circles from some of my misprints and wrote all my info on them — people seemed to dig it. Hmmmm… do I still need traditional cards?!

I also debuted my new 2012 illustrated wall calendar — and it was a hit! I sold out early on Saturday, took orders to ship and then rushed home to bundle up some more for the final day! It is now available in my Etsy shop, too.

This, that and the other…

Lots of updates for you, so I'm going to keep it short and sweet and assorted. First up, I'm over on the Blue House blog today with a new Eye Candy theme: The Circus! Head on over to have a look at some of the great images I found related to the circus.

Next up: This weekend is the DIY Street Fair in Ferndale. I'll be a vendor there in booth #43 (just about the same spot I was in last year). This is one of my favorite shows of the year and as a special treat, I will be releasing my new — hot-of-the-presses — illustrated 2012 calendar.

And last but not least, I am so pleased to be part of the new Poppytalk Handmade "Mixed Tape" market. This is a stellar virtual craft fair and I am at lucky table number 99. There is an amazing collection of artists in this market, so please do go poke around on the site.

That's it for now, lovely readers — have a great day!

Kerrytown BoookFest

This past Sunday, I participated in the Kerrytown BookFest for the first time. I was so excited to be there because this was one of the first events I went to when I first moved to Ann Arbor. It helped me fall in love with this town very quickly. With speakers, workshops, book signings, artists and events, there is so much to take at. My favorite part is always the displays of book and letterpress artists. I also got to visit with some of my favorite crafty ladies: Chicalookate, Dang Argyle and Fartsy Arts (yes, they have real names, but why not throw around a little business lingo?!)

I was so crazy happy—and honored—to receive the award for best booth given to the exhibitor who has "the most attractive and engaging presentation," as judged by Lynn Yates, the Exhibitor Coordinator and noted artist, designer and teacher Susan Skarsgard. What?! Yowza! A good day, through and through. Thank you all so much! 

Pork Banh Mi: The best sandwich I know

Happy Monday, everyone! I have so many things to tell you, I wasn't sure where to start. And then I realized that I owe you a recipe, big time. So I am starting there. Banh mi are one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. If you're not familiar, it is a Vietnamese sandwich with many variations but the basics are some kind of meat filling—often a pate of some sort—pickled vegetables, chiles, cilantro all gathered up on a baguette. The banh mi recipe here is with incredibly flavorful pork meatballs and a spicy Sriracha-based mayo spread. The original recipe called for sliced, fresh jalapenos, too, but with the mayo, I didn't think it needed any more spice — feel free to add to yours though! I used cucumbers in the pickled veggies because that's what we had, but I definitely plan on trying it with the daikon, too.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi
Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2010

Spicy Chili Mayo:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*

Pickled vegetables:
2 cups carrots, julienned
2 cups daikon or cucumber, julienned
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Meatballs:
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)*
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)
16 large fresh cilantro sprigs

Stir all ingredients for the spicy mayo in a small bowl. Season with salt. Cover and chill.

Toss the ingredients for the pickled vegetables in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature for one hour, tossing occasionally.

Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Using moistened hands and a scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange cilantro in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs. Press on baguette tops.

This was the boy's reaction to this tasty sandwich. Need I say more?!