calling cards, squared

I received a lovely set of name cards from my partner for the Laura's Old-Fashioned Calling Cards swap that I hosted.

My partner catsandbutterflys made me a dozen cards printed on nicely textured beige card stock in a rather unusual square shape and stamped with a pretty border. Best of all, the cunning little images are color plates from a decoupage book from the 1970s that she carefully cut out and pasted, which of course is a perfect choice for someone who enjoys vintage as much as I do. I wouldn't have thought to make squared off cards, but my partner explained that though the shape was somewhat unconventional, she thought it showed off the images better...and I absolutely agree.

I love seeing how different people interpret the same idea. Aren't these cards beautiful? I can't wait to use them as gift enclosures or swap cards!

story-inspired recipes

One of the great pleasures of reading for me is having the chance to do some vicarious eating. My husband and I often read at bedtime, and we've discovered that many of the books I read mention food but very few of his ever do. (Hm!) My earliest memory of food in books was Ramona Quimby talking about how her father used to bring home a white paper sack of gummy bears as a treat, and of course reading about Mrs. James Wilder's groaning feasts just encouraged this fixation on food further.

As such, it was only natural that our little children's swap group would do a trade for recipes inspired by children's books. I printed mine at home and included recipes for Anne Shirley's raspberry cordial, Ma Ingalls' vanity cakes, and Mary Poppins' thin, crisp gingerbread cookies.

I've always loved the anecdote in Mary Poppins when the children are taken to a gingerbread shop, where they choose cookies wrapped in paper gilt stars. Later on that night, Jane and Michael see Mary standing on a tall ladder pasting the silver stars to the sky with a bucket of glue...amazing! If you watch the film and pay attention to the scene when Mary and the children are headed out for errands, there's a mention of stopping by the gingerbread store, although they don't actually show it in the movie.

I also included a recipe for Chicken and Almond Mousse, a recipe I adapted from the Ginnie and Geneva Cookbook. The Ginnie and Geneva series is one of those gems like the Betsy-Tacy books that I'm surprised more people haven't read. Set in the idyllic 1940s and 50s, the books were similar to the Beverly Cleary books in that they are just everyday stories about a girl growing up and her place in the world. Along the way, Ginnie discovers a love for the kitchen in Ginnie and the Cooking Contest  and runs into various trials and tribulations with deciding what recipe she wants to submit.

When I read the book, I dearly wanted to taste what's described as a "rich, succulent concoction" with "tender white meat of chicken, whipped cream, olives, almonds, and flavoring." It wasn't until 20 years later that I discovered that the author had written a cookbook, and I was so happy to find the recipe for chicken loaf in it. I've posted a slightly altered version below in case you'd like to try it out.

Ginnie Fellows' Scrumptious Chicken and Almond Mousse

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

1 cup chicken broth

unflavored gelatin

1 tablespoon cold water

1 chicken breast, poached and shredded

1/2 cup almond flakes, lightly toasted

salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 pint heavy cream

pimento olives, roughly chopped

Directions:

Beat the egg yolks in a medium heat-proof bowl with a whisk. Add in the chicken broth.

Bring a pot of water (filled 1/3 of the way) to boil and set your bowl on top for a double boiler effect. Cook the mixture until it thickens, stirring every so often.

Dissolve gelatin packet into a small dish with a tablespoon of cold water. Take your egg mixture off the heat and stir in the gelatin. Add the chicken to the mixture, and season with salt and paprika. Let the mixture cool to room temperature using an ice bath, stirring every now and then so it does not set.    

Using a stand or electric mixer, whip the cream until it’s thick and firm and fluffy. Gently fold the cream into the egg mixture along with the chopped olives, but don’t mix too much or the whipped texture will be destroyed. Pour the mousse into a loaf pan sprayed lightly with vegetable oil.

Chill the mousse for several hours until very firm. To unmold, run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn it carefully over onto a serving plate. 

Adapted from the Ginnie and Geneva Cookbook by Catherine Woolley.

This is a really delicious dish that's easy to do but elegant enough for company, and I highly recommend trying it if you're intrigued. With warm weather coming up, it'll be just the thing for a summer evening with a crisp salad and a glass of white wine. Enjoy!

little house votive: 5 minute craft

I thought it'd be fun to decoupage a votive candle holder, so I purchased a clear glass one awhile back. It's been hanging out in the craft closet until this cold and windy weekend, when I decided it was time to see what I could do with it.

I measured and cut out a Garth Williams illustration from a yellowing copy of Little House in the Big Woods along with some text. Using Mod Podge and a soft brush, I painted the whole glass with a thin layer of glue. I then carefully placed the cut paper onto the glass and brushed on several more layers of Mod Podge, allowing them to dry between coats. (I replaced the chapter header "The Long Rifle" with the book title as well.) The whole thing took around 5 minutes, not counting drying time, and it's probably one of the most satisfying crafts you could do for under a dollar in materials.

When the candle is lit inside, it all looks appropriately old-timey and warm with light glowing through the vintage paper. So simple, so pleasing.

free download: rose calling cards

I just sent off a dozen calling cards to my swap partner ftdlynn, based on the new-fangled name cards that swept the Little Town on the Prairie by storm back in the 1800s. I used a vintage rose image (since Laura Ingalls Wilder named her daughter Rose) and lots of pink (since she always wore pink hair ribbons), along with the following quote printed on textured card stock:

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

I also included a few blank cards that have the original Helen Sewell illustration, too, and both sets will make pretty swap cards or gift enclosures.

If you'd like a set for yourself, the template for the blank calling cards may be downloaded here. Just add your name, print them onto cardstock, and trim--you never know when you'll run into a handsome young gent with a pair of matched Morgans!

no gingerbread for me

Well, I attempted to go the Pomona Library's Gingerbread Sociable for Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthday. Again. But apparently you really need to get there when it first begins in order to see anyone dressed in calico dresses...oh, well.

I still poked around and looked at the Little House exhibit, however, though I'm a little late in posting this. As I've previously mentioned, Pomona holds a number of Laura's precious original manuscripts and letters since she corresponded with the children's librarian. It's interesting to see the tablet with the Little Town on the Prairie draft and compare it to the final published version. It's amazing to look upon it and know that a woman I admired so much used that very paper to write about literaries and birthday parties with oranges and fashionable autograph albums.

The letters, newspaper clippings, and programs from various events over the years are specific to Pomona Library, and it is the photocopies that are on display. One of the letters contains a copy of her famous gingerbread recipe and was clearly written when she was in her late 80s after her husband died. I know she lived a long and happy life, but it still made me rather sad to read:

I'm living alone and it is very lonely without Almanzo, but it would be lonely anywhere and I would rather stay in my own, old home.

I do hope the original letters are locked away somewhere for safe-keeping, as it's a little worrisome that the photocopies and books on display are so faded and worn. I also wish there were more explanations for the artifacts...are those a family member's shoes? Where did the dolls come from? One of these days I'll have to go back and hunt down a librarian to answer some questions. In the meantime, it was really nice to see evidence of her legacy, however. And it's always nice to be amongst other Laura-lovers.

unexpected kindness

I have to confess that swapping online can sometimes be a chancy prospect. I join most swaps for the pleasure of creating something and just hope for something fun in return--and I'm lucky that I've mostly been paired with great partners who have sent me many unexpected and wonderful presents.

One thing I've never been able to understand, though, is when people say they will do something and then they just...don't. How is it possible to make a commitment and not fulfill it? If something comes up, as things sometimes do, shouldn't you at least let your partner know?

I've been really bothered about this for the past few months, since a number of issues came up over the holidays. I've been pretty lucky in that I've only been completely flaked on a couple of times this year, once for the Design a Calling Card swap and for an ornament swap through another blog. But several people flaked on the Little House Christmas swap, most of them apparently quite deliberately, which left their partners disappointed and empty-handed. For a big package. At Christmas time. With an incredibly sentimental theme.

I was pretty heartsick over the whole thing. Even though I wasn't personally flaked on, I don't like for members in my groups to be disappointed or to go through unpleasant swapping experiences...and I felt a huge responsibility for this since we had several people join Swap-Bot specifically just so they could participate in that particular exchange.

But the amazing thing was that so many wonderful people stepped in to help as soon as they heard what had happened. Each of the missing swaps was "angeled" by other Hundred Acre Wood members, who volunteered to send extra packages for no reason other than that they are kind and generous people. Naomi sent one to Paris, and chickadeebijoux (Courtney) sent one to England...and there were more volunteers besides. I can't thank them enough for being so quick to respond to their fellow members, and for filling the stockings full of meaningful presents despite the holiday rush. These ladies also braved an extra trip to the post office just a couple of days before Christmas, and for their modern-day "swim across the creek with precious presents on their heads" efforts, they both certainly deserve the Mr. Edwards Award for going above and beyond to make someone else's Christmas special.

I sent out an angel package as well, and it was a pleasure to do since ftdlynn "adores" Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was enough for me that she received something she really enjoyed...but to my great surprise, I also received a "thank you" package from her in return this week. Teresa sent me a beautiful hand-tatted piece that she watched a local craftswoman create in Texas, a set of book plates, and a variety of bookmarks featuring books and quotes that I love. Best of all, however, she enclosed a wonderful note to express her appreciation and thanks. It made me a little teary, because it was so completely unnecessary, but so incredibly sweet--and it more than made up for the frustration I experienced. It can sometimes be a lot of work to host a swap or to head up a group, but the efforts are rewarded tenfold by what I receive in return.

So in spite of the occasional Grinch, it's because of people like Teresa and Naomi and Courtney that it's a pleasure to swap on Swap-Bot. Beyond the wonderful presents they send, it just lifts the spirit and gladdens the heart to be reminded that there is such beauty and kindness in human nature. It's that same lump-in-the-throat feeling I get every time I watch It's a Wonderful Life; life, and people, are wonderful indeed.

 Photo #2 courtesy of Courtney.

fun postal stamps

Some good news for 2011...the United States Postal Service will be issuing a set of stamps this year featuring images from 5 Pixar films! I like most of the choices included here, though I do wish Finding Nemo and The Incredibles had made it as well. It looks like the stamps will be issued in August, so there will be some fun mail to look forward towards the end of the summer.

Speaking of stamps, I received this sweet set of Royal Mail Pooh stamps from my friend Holly recently. I'm very fond of Pooh, of course, and although I'd received a couple of them on postcards, it was nice to get the sheet as well. I just love E.H. Shepard's illustrations, and these drawings are so perfectly rendered on the simple cream-colored background. I also have this set of Wallace and Gromit Christmas stamps winging their way to me courtesy of a kind Swap-Bot member in the UK, which I'm very much looking forward to.

I really don't collect stamps in an official capacity, but those two British sets just happen to feature themes I enjoy--and I do like to use good ones on domestic mail when they're available. We don't seem to have nearly as many author stamps here in the U.S. as they do in other countries, particularly for children's lit...and I somehow missed these stamps featuring Laura Ingalls Wilder and Louisa May Alcott books from a few years back. Where was I? What was I doing? I should have been at the post office with a fistful of cash in hand. Oh, well.

Hope your new year has gotten off to a great start, philatelic and otherwise. Cheers to another great year!

little house christmas stockings

There are many books I re-read every year during the holiday season, but none that embodies the spirit of Christmas to me more than the Little House series. I mention Laura Ingalls Wilder all the time here on the blog, but if only you knew how often I think of her...especially during the cold winter months! I learned so much from Laura as a child, and I feel I learn from her still.

This is my favorite Christmas passage, from On the Banks of Plum Creek:

(Then) Ma told them something else about Santa Claus. He was everywhere, and besides that, he was all the time. Whenever anyone was unselfish, that was Santa Claus.

Christmas Eve was the time when everyone was unselfish. On that one night, Santa Claus was everywhere, because everybody, all together, stopped being selfish and wanted other people to be happy. And in the morning, you saw what that had done.

"If everybody wanted everybody else to be happy, all the time, then would it be Christmas all the time?" Laura asked, and Ma said, "Yes, Laura."

Isn't that just the loveliest way of thinking about the holiday season? It makes my little heart grow three sizes bigger whenever I read it, I swear it does.
As such, the Little House Christmas swap I hosted recently meant a great deal to me. It was a chance to put together some of the things I see in everyday life that remind me of Laura and of the true spirit of Christmas and to share it with a partner, and I've been so happy to work on it these past few months. I actually had two partners for this swap, one that was randomly assigned and one with my friend Naomi for obvious reasons.

Every month this fall, we've gone back to various flea markets and antique malls, and I've been especially vigilant because I was searching for Little House items. I was thrilled to find vintage cross-stitched gingham aprons, vintage handkerchiefs (which were of course tucked into the apron pockets), a small heart-shaped tin pan along with a card with Ma's heart-shaped cakes recipe, and even an old crock of bear grease! Just what Pa used to use to slick down his hair when he was courting Ma. I love the old paper label on that container, which is mercifully empty now, but would still be very nice for holding little bits and bobs.

Naomi is a teacher, so I thought she'd appreciate a copy of McGuffey's First Reader, which Laura might've used as a teacher--this volume was originally published in 1867, and this particular copy is dated 1920, as well as an old autograph album. The album is dated 1952, but it's filled with great handwritten messages, and is especially appropriate because the owner was a girl named...Mary!

I also made a few things that were Laura-related, including small gift tags collaged with quotes from the books (stamped with Christmas horses, little houses, and a bright-burning candle), Little House postcards, fashionable calling cards that could double as swap cards, and small paper and tin ornaments (made with vintage book pages, a miniature sleigh bell, vintage lace and buttons, a flat peppermint candy, and striped bakers twine).

No Christmas is complete without Christmas candy, of course, so there was also a big peppermint candy cane, thin striped ribbon candy (I was *so* pleased with myself for finding those!), little "Victorian" chocolates, and old-fashioned caramels. Plus a shiny penny in the toe, just because the Ingalls always seemed to manage that somehow. I wrapped everything up in red and white striped tissue paper (like the kind Ma used so her packages would look extra festive) and plain brown waxy tissue with colored string (just how the presents were wrapped when the Boasts paid them a surprise Christmas Eve visit) and packaged them in embroidered stockings I made from wool-blend felt and vintage lace, one of which is adorned with a heart and the other with a little house in the big woods.

For this swap, it was important to keep true to the spirit of the Ingalls family, so all of the items had to be handmade or relatively inexpensive, but this turned out to be a very easy to do. The stockings were so fun to put together, because it was not only the perfect mix of vintage shopping and hand-crafting, but because it was also hugely sentimental undertaking as well. Naomi in particular is so well-versed in children's literature, and I just knew that every single thing I made or chose was something she would understand the reason behind and appreciate. I really think I got just as much joy out of making this as I hope she did in receiving it.

little house postcards

During my frenzy of paper-crafting this week, I've made quite a few postcards. My favorites include ones made with vintage Little House book papers, the pretty "Post Card" stamp that came from overseas, and cardstock that reminds me of faded wallpaper (unblemished by a blacking mark, mind you) and rose-covered calico.

The Garth Williams illustrations are just beautiful of course, and a testament to how warmth and humor can be portrayed even in shaded black and white. Paired with Laura Ingalls Wilder's luminous prose, it's no cinch that these would probably be appealing to another fan. I'm saving them up for future correspondence, but they would definitely only go to someone else who truly loves Laura as much as I do.

If you're a serious collector with means and purpose, by the way, there are original works by Mr. Williams available at Every Picture Tells a Story, a wonderful shop in Santa Monica that sells lots of artwork based on children's literature. A couple of the original Stuart Little drawings are even available! I  confess I try not to look at what's available too often, because it just makes me want to cry. The Rosemary Wells ones in particular fill me with terrible yearning, as Morris' Disappearing Bag is one of my favorite Christmas stories. I mean, the rabbits look like dumplings! How can you not love them? It's all just too, too much for me to bear.

little house package

I received a lovely, lovely package this week from a new friend. Naomi and I bonded instantly over Anne Shirley and Laura Ingalls Wilder after she joined the Hundred Acre Wood swap-bot group, and we decided we needed to do an exchange.

She sent me the most amazing parcel full of goodies inspired by the Little House books. (This is not part of the Christmas swap I previously mentioned, but a whole separate thing.) I can't even begin to describe the amount of thought and care that went into this.

Naomi sent:

-- handmade bookmarks with autumnal Little House quotes and images
-- ribbons of hand-punched lace
-- a tiny packet of sewing notions
-- vintage Betsy McCall paper dolls
-- cards
-- and so much more.

Every single part of this parcel was so lovingly put together that I opened it as slowly as I could so I could savor every bit of it. Even the packaging was done in a way that is reminiscent of those times, very simply wrapped with tissue paper and with gilt edges and silver card.

My favorite part of this package, however, has to be all the wonderful tags Naomi attached that featured handwritten quotes from Little House that explained why she chose them.

From the be-ribboned Rose card (the name of Laura's daughter) to the "carved" button like the one on Aunt Docia's dress, to the big black button that might've come from Pa's overcoat...

The items here are similar to other modern things I've seen that have reminded me of Laura as I've gone about my everyday life, so to meet someone else who is reminded of the same sort of thing is pretty amazing. We are never really as alone in the world as we think--and that is a wonderful thing.

fancy hat + cute apron

I really have to find a garden party to go to. Because I now have the perfect hat to wear to it!

We went to the Pasadena Flea Market again this weekend, and I found this beautiful vintage hat that I absolutely could not resist. It's made of mossy green velvet and covered in gorgeous velvet flowers with a swanky net veil that comes down rakishly just over one eye. So fabulous! The label inside reads "Gene Doris," who was apparently a very well-known milliner in New York during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. This will join my collection of fancy accessories that I don't have an occasion to wear yet, along with my vintage thrifted gloves and such.

I bought another item that was much more practical--a cheery vintage apron in a wonderful colors that reminds me of Hannah's old-fashioned work. As I've mentioned before, I have a lot of aprons, but when you see this kind of thing at $5, how could a normal person possibly walk away? It's also a good excuse to get rid of the current ones that are covered in unsightly spills or stains, so I'm calling it a good and necessary purchase.

I'm also on a little bit of a high because this trip yielded a huge bounty of items for a few swaps I'm super excited about hosting, including my favorite A Little House Christmas swap. Participants are invited to exchange stockings filled with items inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I'm bursting with ideas as well as the necessity to keep the Laura items I just bought a secret for at least another month. Isn't it funny how as a child you can't wait for Christmas because you can't wait for all the goodies you'll receive, but as an adult you're even more excited by things you'll be giving?

paramount ranch

Today we felt like being the great outdoors, so we took ourselves to the Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was a hot and sunny day, and the trails went along acres and acres of dry grassland filled with hoppy grasshoppers. (After waiting patiently and snapping dozens of shots of grasshoppers in the grass, the one pictured below just decided to hitch a ride on my husband. He seems to attract whatever we're stalking.)

We also spied butterflies and a few birds and lizards, though not too many flowers and such. It was fun to see lots of visitors on horseback, too, although it left some of the paths a little stinky.

The park also has a permanent Western Town, where Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and Carnivale were filmed, along with many other films and television episodes, including Firefly and The X-Files. Just about all the buildings were boarded up, unfortunately, so there wasn't much to do there...and I left my calico dress at the cleaners.  Overall, this wasn't a very big park (at least this part of it), but still well worth a visit--the paths meander nicely, and I'd love to go back in the spring when it's cooler and more things are in bloom. Being here on a summer's day meant that we heard the pleasant droning of insects in the brush, though, as well as the wind rustling through the dry grass.

Speaking of calico, between the dusty western town and the dry land and the insects, I kept thinking about poor Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family and the grasshopper plague that wiped out their Minnesota wheat crop. All that was missing from our walk today were swarms of giant blackbirds.